Gayton McKenzie Defends Motsepe After Viral Zwane Trophy Moment at Sundowns Win
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- Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie pushed back against social media claims that CAF president Patrice Motsepe embarrassed Mamelodi Sundowns captain Themba Zwane during the trophy presentation
- The controversy erupted after a video circulated showing Zwane appearing to reach for the trophy before Motsepe handed it over, with the two men visibly laughing
- McKenzie, who said he was standing next to Motsepe at the time, called the exchange a joke, but Mzansi remained split on what actually happened
Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has come out swinging in defence of both CAF president Dr Patrice Motsepe and Mamelodi Sundowns skipper Themba Zwane, after a trophy presentation moment at Loftus Versfeld sent social media into a spin. McKenzie insisted the viral clip was completely misread by the public.
The drama unfolded on Saturday after Sundowns lifted the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup in Pretoria, beating Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli 2-1.
Nuno Santos grabbed both goals for the African champions, and the result books Sundowns' place in the next round of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. It should have been a straightforward celebration, but a clip from the presentation ceremony had fans talking for an entirely different reason.
What happened at the trophy presentation?
Video footage that spread rapidly on X showed Zwane appearing to reach for the trophy just before Motsepe passed it to him. The two men were captured laughing, though many viewers did not interpret the scene as light-hearted. @uMbongy summed up the mood among some fans:
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"Nah Motsepe embarrassed Themba Zwane there💔 This is not even funny, I swear😭😭😭💀"
As seen in the post below on X.
McKenzie waded into the conversation on Sunday morning. He stated clearly that he was physically present beside Motsepe when the exchange took place and that it was nothing more than banter. In his view, Zwane himself found it funny, Motsepe never raised his voice, and the whole thing was, in his words, "a big joke."
Mzansi stays divided
Reactions beneath McKenzie's post reflected a split Mzansi. Some supporters agreed with the minister's reading of the situation.
@Moshe31942 asked:
"Nothing embarrassing there. Didn't Themba do the same when we won CAF? 😆"
@kingcodes013 told McKenzie to ignore the critics, writing "they are always looking for negativity in everything." @Loga82165245 described Motsepe and Zwane as "like father and son" and said there was "no embarrassment at all, only laughter."
Those unconvinced were equally vocal.
@MzansiTouchline asked the minister simply:
"Lol how do you know?"
@maMkhiz_obomvu wrote:
"We didn't see any of that,"
@mandongomanee was blunter still:
"It doesn't matter here; agenda has to agend minister. We saw what we saw, finish and klaar."
A sharper observation came from @2Lani_Madonsela, who noted that McKenzie referred to Motsepe as "Mr Motsepe" while calling the Sundowns captain simply "Zwane," asking what warranted the difference in how the two men were addressed. Meanwhile, @Siphesihle1975 took a lighter angle, asking the minister whether he had "at least" raised the issue of VAR while he was there.
Sundowns will next face the winner of the Derby of the Americas between Mexico's Toluca and the Copa Libertadores champions, with the eventual victor going on to meet European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final later in the year.
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Source: Briefly News
