South African Football Association (Safa) chief medical doctor Thulani Ngwenya says that comments made by Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Rulani Mokwena are demeaning and a defamation of character.

The Sundowns coach suggested to the media last week that they had not had communication with the national team medical department as a number of players supposedly returned to Chloorkop with injuries and niggles.

Speaking after Sundowns’ 2-2 draw with Congolese side AS Maniema Union in a Caf Champions League match on Sunday afternoon, Mokwena hit out at Bafana Bafana and the Safa medical department.

“But jah it is what it is, ours is just to focus on what we can focus on, try to control what we can control. And as I reiterate once again that as Mamelodi Sundowns we will always look to support the national cause, but it is just a bit disappointing that for the last two international breaks [when] we received our players, they came back with injury complications and these are all muscular,” Mokwena said on Sunday.

“And muscular complications speak to you about the training load, match load. We have to improve in that space and see how we can get better relations between the clubs [and the national team]. I see [Pirates player] Vincent Pule is also out, so something is happening in that space and I am not quite sure what it is,” he continued.

These comments have not gone down well with those involved in the national team set up as first Hugo Broos hit out at the unprofessional manner of commenting to the press and now Ngwenya has also defended their work.

“First, I am disappointed that technical people are discussing medical matters,” the Safa chief medical doctor told TimesLive in an interview.

“I am disappointed [because] it means the technical people at Sundowns are also not communicating with the medical department [at the Pretoria club], if any. But I have spoken personally to both Dr Carl Tabane and Dr Paul Maphoto [they are members of the Sundowns medical team] regarding their players.

“I have seen a report that was sent by Dr Tshepo Molobi. He copied me because he copies me on all correspondences that have to do with medical. It was sent to Mamelodi Sundowns. It is just unfortunate.”

“So it is just disappointing when you get a coach [Mokwena] saying such things,” he added.

“It seems as if we are not professional and it is unfortunate. I have been at Bafana for 10 years now and Sundowns have had coaches, and the previous coach [Pitso Mosimane] before the current coaches [Mokwena, Manqoba Mngqithi and Steve Komphela], have never complained that we do not give them reports.”

“If you remember last year, we visited all the clubs with [former Bafana coach] Molefi Ntseki,” he said on Thursday.

“I mean, why now are we all of a sudden not communicating? What I would really ask is that technical people must leave medical matters to medical people. They must not use medical people when they have got their own issues to deal with, because it is unfortunate.

“When dealing with medical matters you deal with sensitive issues and there are [things] we cannot say in the media because of the ethical code governing us. So it is unfortunate that you have a technical person who would speak so badly about another professional.

“It is demeaning and it is also defamation of character, because it is saying that you are not professional. I am not happy with that.”

It is expected that Safa leadership and their Sundowns counterparts will meet soon in an attempt to squash the tension that seems to be building.