On Friday, 21 July, Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena expressed regret after two of his players suffered serious injuries from recent clashes against Orlando Pirates. Midfielder Haashim Domingo was injured during the Carling Black Label Cup final, while Abubaker Nasir had to be stretchered off the pitch during the DStv Premiership game last Friday.
Mokwena said: “That’s probably the sourest taste, sad that last time was Haashim Domingo against Pirates, today is Nasir. It’s sad that these type of games always have to end with these type of situations but okay, it is what it is.”
The coach also noted the support that Nasir received from his teammates, saying: “I’m sure the teammates, I could see even when at half-time he was on the stretcher, he was being attended to by the paramedics before all the players came to sit down. They all walked past Nasir, touched and encouraged him, that shows the type of human being that he is, so ja.”
Domingo and Nasir are not the only Sundowns players to have been injured in clashes with Pirates. Striker Peter Shalulile was ruled out with a sports hernia injury after the team’s MTN8 semi-final first-leg.
Mokwena concluded his statement by saying: “It’s unfortunate that my players seem to get serious injuries from games against Pirates.”
