Johannesburg — An attack on the Orlando Pirates coach, Gordon Igesund has prompted South African football officials to call for security for Premier League clubs.

Igesund, 44, was beaten up by a group of disgruntled supporters of league leaders, Pirates, who arrived in a bus at the team's training session, leaving him slightly injured.

Players and officials scurried from the field as the group alighted and chased after Igesund.

The Premier League has condemned the attack and urged Pirates and other teams to provide security.

Pirates striker Phumlani Mkhize, said: "We were training when all of sudden I saw a lot of people getting out of the bus and running towards the coach. They attacked him and beat him."

A shaken Igesund said afterwards he was fine and did not want to discuss the incident. Earlier this month,his team played in the league match at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, where 43 spectators were killed in a stadium crush.

Since the tragedy, the club have lost one league match and on Tuesday were knocked out of the quarter-finals of the Super Bowl, the domestic cup competition, by struggling Moroka Swallows.

But Pirates supporters were also furious after the team lost 1-0 to Umtata Bucks last week.

Igesund joined Pirates towards the end of last season and has taken them to the top of the standings as they seek their first championship since 1994.

But a runaway lead has whittled away in recently and they now lead defending champions, Mamelodi Sundowns on goal difference only, although Pirates have a match in hand.