Tanzania Premier League side Simba Sports Club have refuted claims by their CAF Confederation Cup opponents Orlando Pirates that they mistreated them.
The South African club’s coach Mandla Ncikazi registered a strong displeasure on the treatment his side were subjected to by their Tanzanian hosts and the standard of officiating in their match.
Simba have released a statement to counter the allegations and revealed that Pirates refused to share their itinerary.
“As their opponents, we were deeply puzzled by the strange behaviour of Orlando Pirates since their arrival into Tanzania,” read a statement from the club signed by CEO Barbara Gonzalez.
“All gestures, that were friendly, accorded to them were openly denied starting with the vehicles provided for their logistics in Tanzania, and the suggested hotels in close proximity to the stadium so as to accord them with a comfortable and friendly environment ahead of the match.
“In addition to the above, Orlando Pirates arrived an hour late to the official training session set by Caf, yet stadium officials were kind to accommodate them despite their deliberate choice to stay a far distance from the stadium [out of town]. Most strangely, the peculiar decision to use unofficial entry into the stadium dressing rooms; via the media room.
“This is not how mega-clubs conduct themselves, and for that, they must accept all responsibility for their own actions that resulted from poor choices they made since their arrival despite receiving prior friendly advice from Simba.
“Football is all about mutual respect and as Simba, we have a zero-tolerance policy for disrespect of any kind. Must learn to be mindful of our own words and the lasting consequences they have on our communities. Let this be a teachable moment never to cross these lines again,” the Tanzanian club added.
Orlando Pirates suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Simba in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final on Sunday.
Both teams will meet again at the weekend in the second leg of this fixture at the he Orlando Stadium next Sunday night.
The aggregate winners of the tie will take on one of the Libyan giants Al-Ittihad or Al Ahli Tripoli in the two-legged semi-finals.
Featured Photo: Simba Sports Club Chief Executive Officer,Barbara Gonzalez
