Chippa coach Kopo alleges verbal abuse from Pirates counterpart Riveiro

Chippa United co-coach Kwanele Kopo alleged he was verbally abused by Orlando Pirates counterpart Jose Riveiro during Saturday’s 3-1 Nedbank Cup semifinal win to the Buccaneers at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Kopo said Pirates assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi apologised to Chippa’s coaching staff for the alleged conduct from the Buccaneers bench.

Riveiro shrugged off the incident as a heated touchline exchange that he said did not cross a line.

Kopo said he hopes the altercation in an exciting but ill-tempered semifinal does not affect the atmosphere between the teams when they meet in rematch in a DStv Premiership clash at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday (7.30pm).

“It’s a bit of a sensitive one because I’ve never been insulted by a colleague,” Kopo said in his post-match press conference.

“I have huge respect for Orlando Pirates, huge respect for the chair [Irvin Khoza] and the management — it’s a big, big club.

“But the language that was used towards us today is not needed in football. And for match officials to let it go is really sad.

“Golden Arrows] coach Steve Komphela once said we African people tend not to love ourselves and treat each other very badly.

“I’m saying it’s sensitive because when you are verbally abused and people who have the power to stop it don’t stop it, it becomes painful because some of us grew up in difficult political times and you begin to ask yourself, ‘Am I being abused because I’m the colour I am?’

“We don’t have issues with Pirates. I have huge respect for the coach of Pirates; he’s a very good coach, but today he’s left me with a lot of question marks. It’s not an excuse for the result but it’s bad for football.

“On the same note, I would like to compliment coach Mandla Ncikazi that at halftime he came and apologised, and even now after the game he’s come and apologised.

“I understand the emotions in the game but I think there’s certain language we cannot use to each other.

“Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s we know what happened in South Africa and you’re called certain things. It cannot be. I don’t want to repeat what was said but I did not expect it.

“Only coach Mandla shook hands with us after the game, the other coaches couldn’t look us in the face ...

“It cannot be that coaches can use F-words and nothing happens.”

Kopo, whose team had been hit by injuries and suspensions, was also not pleased with the officiating. He admitted his players’ “emotions got high” after a penalty appeal for a challenge on Sinoxolo Kwayiba by Pirates’ Thabiso Sesane was turned down.

“I don’t want to be really aggressive towards the officials but I think to a certain extent they contributed towards the emotions of this game,” he said.

Asked to respond to Kopo’s allegation, Riveiro said he became heated protecting his players from what he saw as rough play on the field.

“I don’t have opinions about other colleagues’ opinions. It doesn’t make any sense — who am I to [comment] if he feels that we used abusive [language]?” Bucs’ coach said.

“There were moments of tension between the benches and I was not happy and not comfortable with the situation on the field, with some of the behaviour and some things happening in the game that for me are not related to football at all.

“[Part of] my role is to try to protect and defend my players. I am a quiet person, extremely peaceful but there are moments where you have to stand up and ask some questions about what’s going on — that’s all.

“He [Kopo] can give you a description [and] I’m ready to hear the words that he said were abusive or not abusive because I think nothing happened out of the limits of competition and the swearing came from every angle, not only from our bench.

“Things that happen during games when emotions and the motivation before matches are so high and maybe things are not going the way you want them to, or were dreaming they might yesterday when you went to sleep, and suddenly you find a reality that is different, it’s difficult to control yourself.

“But I think Pirates’ bench was behaving in a correct and professional way and especially defending and protecting our players, which is our obligation.”

Stellenbosch FC host Mamelodi Sundowns in Sunday's semifinal at Danie Craven Stadium (3pm).