Ramović lays into Mokwena over ‘expletive-laden’ phone call

TS Galaxy coach Sead Ramović on Thursday made stunning allegations against Rulani Mokwena while discussing an alleged phone call he received from his Mamelodi Sundowns counterpart.

Ramović was speaking at a Nedbank Cup media conference before Galaxy’s meeting with Lamontville Golden Arrows in the competition’s round of 32 at Hammarsdale near Durban on Friday.

He said Mokwena had lied in claiming he had received an apology from national coach Hugo Broos in January, who had been quoted in the Belgian media before the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) as saying that Mokwena “pretends he is God”.

Responding to Mokwena’s assertion at a press conference on Monday over comments Ramović had made in late November, the German detailed an expletive-filled phone call he allegedly received from the Sundowns coach.

Mokwena, who was contacted on his cellphone in Mauritania, said he would not respond to Ramović’s allegations until he returned to SA after Sundowns’ Caf Champions League group match against Nouadhibou on Saturday.

Ramović said his comments aimed at Mokwena in November that “a strong coach will not find excuses” were in response to the Downs coach complaining about missing seven players after Galaxy dumped them out of the last 16 of the Carling Knockout in October.

Ramović said he regarded the matter as closed until Mokwena’s assertion this week that he had called the Galaxy boss directly and that Ramović apologised.

“It was on November 30 that I raised my voice that he disrespected my players, me, my staff and the club. I didn’t attack him, I just protected my players,” Ramović said.

In late December Ramović said he received an expletive-laden phone call from Mokwena.

“What he said to me was, ‘Who the f**k are you to come to my f**king country and talk to me like this. Do you know who my parents are? Be careful how you talk because you are in my f**king country’.

“I told him I do not care who his parents are and then he hung up the phone. 

“I was very disappointed because I think to get treated like this by a colleague is a very, let’s say, small-minded talk.”

Ramović said he spoke to Broos on Wednesday about Mokwena’s allegation that he had received an apology from the Bafana Bafana coach.

“With his [Broos’] permission I asked if I could tell what Broos said [to me]. He said, yes [I have permission] because it’s true. He [Mokwena] never called Broos and he [Broos] never apologised to Rulani.

“The things Broos was quoted on in the [Belgian] media he did not say and he sent a message to Rulani saying he did not say those — there was no apology or anything.

“But maybe who should apologise to Broos is Rulani. After the [Democratic Republic of] Congo [third-place Afcon] game, Rulani went into the Bafana dressing room. It’s not his team and I think no-one should disrespect a colleague by going into a dressing room and speaking to players.

“Yes, he got an invitation from the Safa president [Danny Jordaan]. But even then a coach should never go there.”

Attempts to reach Broos for comment were unsuccessful as he is on holiday.