AMAZULU midfielder Michael Morton is dismayed by the PSL’s shock decision to charge him with misconduct.
As it is, the hard-tackling midfielder is serving a two-match ban for the red card he received for retaliation. This follows one of the most disgusting and worst acts in football, when Bidvest Wits’ Gabadinho Mhango spat in Morton’s face during their league clash at Princess Magogo Stadium last month.
And now Morton is likely to face further punishment after the league charged him with misconduct for allegedly offending Mhango’s dignity.
The decision has left the 28-year-old astonished.
“Did I retaliate in an overly aggressive manner to an incident? 100%. Did I react by ‘spitting back’? Absolutely NOT,” Morton tweeted yesterday.
This followed his initial tweet, which reads: “No excuse for the reaction, but when a fellow professional spits in your face it’s difficult to control your emotions. . . ”
Usually a calm figure on the pitch, Morton appeared to react angrily as he shoved Mhango. But replays on TV showed Mhango spat in his face, an offence that went unpunished by the referee, Eketsang Setloboko.
Mhango will also appear before the PSL’s disciplinary committee on a similar charge. “Mhango has been charged with misconduct for allegedly offending the dignity of AmaZulu player Michael Morton following an alleged spitting incident on 20 September,” said the PSL. Wits also indicated Mhango could face an internal charge, if he did spit at his fellow professional.
- Meanwhile, the PSL has also charged Wits COO Jonathan Schloss and manager George Mogotsi with misconduct after they contravened Rule 54 of the NSL Handbook. Schloss allegedly used offensive gestures or language towards Kaizer Chiefs coach Steve Komphela during the match between Wits and Chiefs, while Mogotsi allegedly used offensive language at the very same match on 16 September.
