SuperSport United coach Stuart Baxter has criticised the pre-game scuffle between his own players and those of Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday. 

The incident arose from both sides’ insistence on occupying the same bench at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium as the sides prepared to face off in their MTN8 quarter-final, which Downs won 3-1.

‘It’s embarrassing and a shame in South African football that we can have such things,’ Baxter told the media, reports KickOff.

‘I am not accusing anybody of anything. I am just saying that in a game where you see a parade of two teams trying to warm-up in the same area, that means the warm-up is compromised and at that point you can call the game off.’

Baxter was further irked by Downs defender Ricardo Nascimento’s challenge on the goal-bound Kingston Nkhatha, believing the challenge was deserving of a sending-off.

‘Thought that was a wrong decision by the referee when he did not give a red card to the Brazilian defender when the fourth official tells me he broke up a promising attack.

‘He was the last defender when Nkhatha went through and that is a red card,’ the coach concluded.

SuperSport will look to bounce back when they Chippa United in the Premiership on Wednesday, September 14.

The match will be played Lucas Moripe Stadium.

Kick-off is at 19:30.