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Kopo accuses Riveiro of using abusive language

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GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA - MAY 04: Chippa United co-coach Kwanele Kopo during the Nedbank Cup semi final match between Chippa United and Orlando Pirates at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on May 04, 2024 in Gqeberha, South Africa. (Photo by Richard Huggard/Gallo Images)
GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA - MAY 04: Chippa United co-coach Kwanele Kopo during the Nedbank Cup semi final match between Chippa United and Orlando Pirates at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on May 04, 2024 in Gqeberha, South Africa. (Photo by Richard Huggard/Gallo Images)

Chippa United co-coach Kwanele Kopo has accused his Orlando Pirates counterpart Jose Riveiro of using 'abusive language towards him throughout the game.

Chippa were knocked out in the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup after they succumbed to a brace by Kabelo Dlamini and another goal by Tapelo Xoki.

After the game, Kopo alleged that Riveiro was using insulting and abusive language towards him and his bench.

READ | Bucs progress to back-to-back Nedbank Cup finals

"I'm very disappointed by the officiating and also I have a lot of respect for Orlando Pirates but the language used towards us by the coach (Riveiro) today was shocking! Absolutely shocking!" Kopo said on SuperSport.

"Not needed in football, (he) can't even look at me in the eye after the game or shake a hand. He was insulting the whole game, that's why Eva Nga was sent off, the coach was…I know Pirates wanted to defend the trophy and I respect the club and the officials of the club. But I think people can represent themselves better.

"Coach Mandla (Ncikazi) I want to compliment him, that when everybody else was abusing us, he was the one calm person that came to apologize to us. So big up to coach Mandla for that," he said.

"But even a fourth official could hear a coach using abusive language against us and they just keep quiet. But it's okay, we move on, we're all coaches we know when people are under pressure.

"We don't want to say certain things because we're gonna be look at as 'its not nice'. Some of us grew up in a difficult time in South Africa and you consistently use a certain language towards us, it riles us up so that's the disappointing part for me and that's what makes us angry.

"Even for the referee, when people of a certain colour or language are abusive, it seems like it's acceptable in South Africa and I think we need to overcome that."


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