Mamelodi Sundowns have issued a statement regarding the scenes of fan violence that ensued at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium after the win against Esperance Sportive de Tunis in the CAF Champions League.
The Brazilians registered a 1-0 win over Esperance in the first leg of the CAF Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday.
However, the end of the encounter was marred by ugly scenes as violence broke out in the stands after the final whistle. Allegedly disgruntled by the result, the visitors' fans were spotted removing the Sundowns' around the stadium - before the two sets of supporters clashed.
READ | 'I was there at Loftus, and I saw everything'
In a statement published by The Brazilians in the wee hours of Wednesday, the club condemned the violence but also clarified who, according to them, was at fault for the chaos.
"Mamelodi Sundowns is deeply saddened by the unruly behavior that was displayed yesterday (01 April) at its CAF Champions League quarterfinal match against Espérance de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld Stadium," reads the statement.
Esperance are notorious for a fanbase that can take things to the extreme when not all is going according to plan on the pitch. In 2023, the club was hit with a four-match fan ban for home games by CAF after disruptive behaviour by their fans in the first leg of a Champions League quarterfinal at home against Algerian rivals JSK.
They were also punished with a $300,000 (R5,5 million) fine.
The two sides square off again, for the second leg, at the Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi in Tunisia on Tuesday.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS SADDENED BY UNRULY BEHAVIOUR AT ITS MATCH AGAINST ESPÉRANCE
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) April 2, 2025
Mamelodi Sundowns is deeply saddened by the unruly behaviour that was displayed yesterday (01 April) at its CAF Champions League quarterfinal match against Espérance de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld… pic.twitter.com/sp3JnpG7cs
FULL STATEMENT:
"Mamelodi Sundowns is deeply saddened by the unruly behavior that was displayed yesterday (01 April) at its CAF Champions League quarterfinal match against Espérance de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
"Videos circulating on social media depict malicious damage to the stadium and the Mamelodi Sundowns supporters retreating from violent conduct that was initiated against them, including flares and pepper spray when the incident started.
"Sundowns await a full report from the Match Commissioner and is committed to cooperating with CAF to finalize its investigation ahead of the return leg.
"Espérance de Tunis is a respected sports institution in Africa and we trust that once all the evidence is reviewed, our brothers and sisters at Espérance will also denounce this behavior and take the necessary steps to ensure that the next encounter is one where all supporters feel safe and welcome.
"We are confident that the investigation will identify the circumstances that gave rise to the unruly behavior.
"However, in accordance with our African culture of compassion and empathy (our African culture of Ubuntu) we are required to apologize to Espérance de Tunis and its supporters as the unruly behavior took place at our home stadium, despite the videos and facts indicating that the Sundowns supporters did not initiate the unruly behavior.