Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach Steve Komphela has allegedly been subjected to racial abuse by Wiliete SC head coach Beto Bianchi before reportedly becoming involved in a physical altercation.
The alleged incident took place on Sunday after Sundowns played to a goalless draw against Wiliete in Angola in the CAF Champions League preliminary round.
Some reports have claimed that Komphela punched Bianchi, who was reportedly taken to hospital. Neither club nor CAF, however, has officially confirmed the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident.
Speaking on Metro FM, Andile Ncube claimed that Komphela was escorted out of the Tundavala National Stadium by police following an altercation involving members of the technical benches.
“Coach Steve Komphela left the stadium with cops in Angola. Steve Komphela can speak Portuguese; he understands it. He is very good with languages; he’s got a good grasp of Portuguese,” Ncube said.
“He was escorted out of the stadium because there was some form of altercation, from what I hear, with the bench. There were racial slurs, spitting. The coach spat on Coach Steve, and I know Coach Steve personally. I call him big brother,” he added.
Ncube suggested that Komphela may have been pushed to the limit, leading to a reaction that was out of character for the Sundowns assistant coach.
Steve Komphela gets ‘physical’
Meanwhile, Wiliete vice-president Vitorins Lunga Vicele addressed the alleged incident, indicating that the club intended to pursue the matter through the appropriate channels.
“It is something that should not happen, especially when we are talking about two professional teams. We will therefore lodge complaints with the relevant CAF bodies and the Angolan justice system,” he told Angolan publication Angop.
The incident remains unconfirmed by the clubs and CAF, with further details expected to emerge as the matter develops. Steve Komphela is surely going to be the talking point when the two teams clash again this weekend in the second leg.