
AmaZulu head coach Benni McCarthy has explained that his touchline altercation with Sundowns defender Mosa Lebusa was nothing serious.
McCarthy had already been shown a yellow card in the first half of the clash with Sundowns on Wednesday, which ended in a goalless draw.
Masandawana co-coach Steve Komphela had to step in to de-escalate the situation in the closing minutes of the tie when Lebusa and McCarthy exchanged heated words.
However, the Bafana Bafana legend has explained that it looked worse than it was.
"Argh‚ it was emotions running high in the game, but there was no swearing or anything like that between us‚" said McCarthy.
"It was just emotions‚ there was no disrespect from the player towards me or from me towards the player. Coach Steve Komphela came across to talk to me and ask if the player was in any way disrespectful towards me‚ but there was nothing to it.
"It happened in the heat of the moment.
"I do that a lot myself, and sometimes emotions get the better of me in a moment of madness. When you are a player who has been on the pitch, and you are tired because you have been working hard‚ you don't want to see an opposition coach getting in your face. Sometimes you lose your sense of calmness and answer back‚ but in all fairness and honesty‚ there was nothing in it.
"It was just an altercation because earlier Sundowns had an opportunity to almost seal the game from nothing by throwing the ball in when our team was not ready‚ and they almost scored.
"When the ball came out for our advantage‚ Lehlohonolo Majoro tried to take it quick, and their player behaved in an aggressive manner towards Majoro. I thought it was going to be a physical altercation between the two players, and I stepped in to separate them.
"As I was in the process of separating [the players]‚ the Sundowns player [Lebusa] felt that I was leaning towards fighting with him than pushing Majoro out of the way."