Former Chippa United coach Daine Klate had a few things to get off his chest about the claims made by ex-footballer Jabu ‘Pule’ Mahlangu about Mamelodi Sundowns and the state of the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
What did Jabu Mahlangu say about Sundowns?
Mahlangu, a revered icon of diski and ex-Kaizer Chiefs playmaker, courted backlash when, in a viral video posted on Monday, he accused the Brazilians of ruining the game with their deep pockets.
Mahlangu, reflecting on Sundowns’ 1 – 0 victory over AmaKhosi, lamented the poor state of football in South Africa and, for the most part, chalked all the blame on the league leaders’ uncapped spending.
“One team is winning endlessly. Financial Fair Play must be placed on them. Top players like [Lesedi] Kapinga, [Mosa] Lebusa, [Rivaldo] Coetzee remain in the stands. They should be playing. It is affecting the PSL and Bafana,” Mahlangu said in a video he posted on social media.
Mahlangu drew comparisons to the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play policy, which regulates spending at wealthy clubs like Manchester City, for example.
The policy, which is adopted in various forms elsewhere in Europe, also compels football clubs to declare annual expenditures and revenues.
Without such administrative policies in place, Mahlangu added, the ‘big’ clubs in the PSL will continue to dominate by buying out top talent in the transfer market, only to force top-draw footballers like Rivaldo Coetzee and Mosa Lebusa on the bench, a ripple effect that, along the way, impacts Bafana Bafana negatively.
Here’s what Daine Klate said in response to Mahlangu
Mahlangu’s comments sparked outrage within the local football community. While some supporters concurred with the ex-Chiefs playmaker, other prominent voices, like Klate, vehemently disagreed.
The ex-Chippa United head coach challenged other clubs to “catch up with Sundowns.”
“If they dont then Sundowns must win every season. The work and process they followed over the years took a lot of time!!! So credit for all the investing and the success is well deserved!!” Klate wrote.
The ex-Orlando Pirates forward added that the conversation ought to be “about what the rest must do to get to that level.”
“Some dont have training facilities how will success arrive?” Klate added.
Here are more social media reactions to Mahlangu’s comments: