Sead Ramovic responds to Pitso Mosimane's comment on Sibusiso Vilakazi

Vilakazi had his contract mutually terminated at Galaxy just two days before the mid-season transfer window closed in January. He had played only 366 minutes of football action in the 10 matches he had featured in this season and mostly came on as a substitute.

In the Nedbank Cup press conference leading to Galaxy’s 2-0 win over Eastern Cape’s Amavarara FC this past weekend, Ramovic speaking for the first time on Vilakazi’s departure, insinuated that the 33year-old’s exit might have been as a result of him not showing him enough hunger at training.

“About Vila, fantastic player, fantastic name, great career but again, me as a coach, I don’t care about age, I don’t care about names. I just look at the things that I see on the field.

“And if we have players on the field that give 100% and train well, give a lot of effort, these players will play. The players that don’t do their best every day , will have a difficult time, of course,” that was Ramovic’s response to SABC Sport question about Vilakazi’s departure.

Mosimane, who coached Vilakazi at Bafana Bafana and also signed him for Sundowns for a deal that was reported to be in the region of R11 million in 2016, responded to these comments via social media.

“I’m dumbfounded by the tone of this interview, I trained Vilakazi for many years competitively and consistently for more than six years. He’s a true professional (on and off the field), who respects the game.

“[He]knows sports science and game tactics and he’s opinionated too.

“He was also a coach in my dressing room and inside the pitch, one of the players who kept the dressing room quiet but spoke football tactics all the time. He led the football conditioning training sessions which are usually very tough and he critiques his game,” commented Mosimane on Ramovic’s video on Twitter.

The Serbian-born coach has felt the need to respond to South Africa’s most successful football coach and three-time African Champions league winning mentor.

“Mr Mosimane, I don't usually react when I see someone's emotions controlling them.  But this time I'll make an exception for you. I hope you will like my tone this time.

“Vilakazi is a wonderful person, a really fantastic player, [who had] a nice career.  But we have just as many players who try very hard to start the same career and give everything every day. 

“I would really like Vilakazi to continue his career.  Maybe he could continue in your team because you could certainly use his quality. 

“I'm sure your chairman [at Al Ahli Saudi] would like to have success this year and not care too much about your great achievements six years ago. I wish you to continue your fantastic record as a coach,” Ramovic responded to Mosimane in this message sent to SABC Sport.

Mosimane won two back-to-back CAFCL titles and two FIFA Club World cup bronze medals with African club of the century Al Ahly. He remains the second most successful coach after Manuel Jose at Ahly.

The former Bafana Bafana head coach had won a record of 13 trophies at Sundowns in a space of eight years, including their maiden CAFCL title. And currently, he’s in a position to lead Al Ahli Saudi back to the Saudi Pro League, with Ramovic in his first head coaching job at Galaxy.

“TS Galaxy FC confirms its agreement for the mutual termination of the contract it had with Sibusiso Vilakazi. This follows lack of regular game time on the part of the player,” the club said in a statement sent to SABC Sport last month.