Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane believes that cooler heads should have prevailed after Gaston Sirino was handed two quick yellow cards and a subsequent red by Victor Gomes on Tuesday night against Maritzburg United.

The Brazilians took a 2-0 lead in the first half thanks to strikes from Emiliano Tade and Lebohang Maboe, and were well and truly in control of the game.

Downs, however, were then forced to play the last 30 minutes of the encounter with 10 men after Sirino was red-carded following two yellow cards in the space of minutes, the second yellow coming for apparent back chat to the referee.

The Team of Choice pulled a goal back with seven minutes to play through Fortune Makaringe, but the team from Chloorkop held on to the lead and returned to the summit of the Absa Premiership.

Speaking to SuperSport TV after the game, Mosimane admitted that he felt his side still controlled the game with 10 men, but also revealed that he spoke to Sirino prior to the match about his emotional reactions.

‘Always a thriller here hey? It was a thriller in Cape Town against Cape Town City, it was a thriller at [Bidvest] Wits. Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you don’t.

‘We scored the goals, we were dangerous in the first half. We could go in the inside, but the most important ones we didn’t take them.

‘Themba Zwane must kill the game, but he’s been scoring all the time. He’s the top goal-scorer in Africa. But we need to give him that [benefit of a doubt]. He had enough time, he could have even rounded the goalkeeper, to be honest.
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‘I think we were much better defending with ten men that when it was eleven against eleven. It’s unbelievable,’ added Mosimane.

‘I told Gaston [Sirino] before the match, I said ”be very careful” because he [Victor Gomes] once told me that Gaston is reactional. Gaston is emotional, so is Gomes. So those two together, something is going to give way and whoever has the authority will defeat the other one.

‘I speak to him [referee], he was too quick. Speak to him [Sirino]. Either delay or whatever. If he was swearing of course he must take him out. But he didn’t swear, I know that. Gaston is emotional, we know that, but the referee is also emotional. Emotional intelligence was needed on the referee. I think he could’ve warned him,’ concluded Mosimane.

Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix