CAPE Town City captain Thami Mkhize has apologised profusely to Mamelodi Sundowns forward Keletso Makgalwa after a career-threatening tackle in their 1-1 league affair in Tshwane on Tuesday night.
Mkhize’s effort to stop Makgalwa who was on full speed, saw the City skipper landing on the youngster’s Achilles tendon and he really looked to be in agonising pain.
After he was stretched off the field, Makgalwa had an ice pack on his right foot in the dugout.
The 22-year-old, who just came on in the second half for Gaston Sirino in the 64th minute, was then replaced 10 minutes later by defender Anele Ngcongca.
Said Mkhize: “This is not sitting well with me.
“I’ll get hold of him to apologise. There’s no player who goes to the pitch with an intention to injure another player.”
The Mokopane-born player was starting to find his feet at Sundowns after his season long loan last term at Maritzburg United was cut short – six months before the end of the season.
The injury happened a few days later after Makgalwa scored his first ever league goal for Downs, his second in the PSL after netting the third when the Tshwane giants defeated Bloemfontein Celtic 3-1 in the MTN8 quarter final last Saturday.
Added Mkhize: “I was trying to stop the danger from our team but unfortunately I injured the young man.”
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane suggested after the game that somehow laws of the game must be changed to avoid such horrific injuries.
Said Mosimane: “If you give him (Mkhize) a yellow now, he must wait for Keletso to come back. If Keletso is out for three weeks, he (Mkhize) must also come back in three weeks time.”
The Downs coach felt that the challenge on Makgalwa was too much.
“He (Makgalwa) was going to score and Mkhize did a good job to stop him from kicking the ball. But when you go to his Achilles tendon, for me if you do that, it should not be a yellow card.”
According to Sundowns official Alex Shakoane, Makgalwa will not play when Masandawana host Otoho D’oyo in the Caf Champions League second leg in the preliminary stages on Saturday night (7pm).
