Miguel Cardoso praises Sundowns' resilience after dramatic comeback in MTN8 match

Miguel Cardoso, the coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, stated that his team is being subjected to targeted attacks from referees in the form of yellow cards and suspensions, while their opponents, Orlando Pirates, receive more favorable treatment.

Cardoso condemned the criticism directed at the team before the MTN8 semi-final, the second match which will take place at Lamontville Golden Arrows on Sunday afternoon at King Zwelithini Stadium. He believes that Mamelodi Sundowns continues to improve over time.

Sundowns will face Arrows at 15:00, needing a win after a 1-0 defeat in the first match at Lucas Masterpiece Moriphe Stadium last Saturday. This loss intensified scrutiny on the team, especially given their instability at the start of the season.

Prior to this defeat, Sundowns had won three games and drawn one. This allowed them to secure first place in the Betway Premiership table alongside champions Orlando Pirates and advance to the MTN8 semi-finals after defeating Polokwane City in the quarter-finals.

Despite victories and an aggressive attack, the team was still criticized for goals conceded, particularly from set pieces. Their weak defense continued to show problems, as they conceded 5-2 against AmaZulu in Loftus on Wednesday, both to Arrows and in the league.

Despite the win and powerful attack, Sundowns continued to be analyzed due to the goals conceded. Knowing they still have a chance to improve their play against Arrows in Durban, Cardoso considers the criticism of the team unfair.

“The team will grow steadily,” Cardoso stated. “The more stability the team gains, the better it will become. The higher the quality, the better the team will be. Players and coaches are not bad after one match; they will constantly improve over time.”

Cardoso believes that the team has not shown its best level since the beginning of the current season and the previous one due to insufficient defensive protection from the referees. He even insisted that their arch-rivals received more protection than others.

“I am unhappy with seeing my players receiving so many yellow cards. It is worth noting that we have already received 15 yellow cards in six games,” Cardoso noted. “It is hard to understand how a team like Sundowns, which dominates matches—looking at ball possession and statistics—still receives so many yellow cards.”

He added: “Last season we had 53 yellow cards, and Pirates had 28. We had four red cards, and Pirates had zero. Yellow cards lead to suspensions as the season progresses. These suspensions affect us in the later stages of the season. I appeal to the referees: please pay attention to how my team is being targeted.”

“We hope this situation can be corrected. We want our players to play in matches until the end, just like the teams we compete against. The rules are the same for everyone.”

One of the Sundowns players whom Cardoso regretted the lack of referee protection for this season was Tebogo Mokokena. The Bafana Bafana international, who returned after the World Cup, sustained an injury in the first match of the season against Polokwane City.

Mokokena missed the next four Sundowns matches and returned to play during the thrashing victory over Usutu, scoring a goal from a set piece. Cardoso is pleased with the return of his defensive midfielder in full fitness, believing he will be a great asset in the future, starting with the match against Abafana Bes'tende on Sunday.

“When you have the best available players, the team, coaches, and players become stronger,” said Cardoso. “I don't need to talk about myself or the quality of Tebogo. He is a very stable player in the squad. He is an important player.”

“In midfield, unfortunately, we lost Jayden Adams, whom we should value. Therefore, when a pair is broken, and we lose both players who gave us stability throughout the season, any team will suffer and face difficulties.”

“We lost even more—in the central defensive zone, we lost Kian Kupido. We lost Bryan Leon, and he is gradually returning. So we need to support these guys. They intend to perform well. Support from everyone will be key to helping us find stability.”

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has called on Masandawana fans to support the team during the period of overcoming early-season difficulties and following recent player departures.

Sundowns maintained an unbeaten run in the Betway Premiership campaign, defeating AmaZulu 5-2 at Loftus Versfeld stadium on Wednesday evening. Following this victory, Cardoso addressed the fans, emphasizing the need for patience despite ongoing defensive problems.

Nevertheless, the team has conceded eight goals since the start of the season. These goals include a 1-0 loss to Golden Arrows in the first MTN8 semi-final match, which they must rectify in the second match in Durban on Sunday afternoon (at 15:00).

Speaking after the win against Usutu in the country's capital, Cardoso expressed satisfaction with the result but regretted the defensive performance, as the team has only managed one match without conceding a goal so far.

Cardoso stated: 'We scored goals, and we could score more. But we must stop conceding goals because the team's stability comes from defense.' He added that the 5-2 result was acceptable, but 3-0 would have looked much better.

Due to the goals conceded, some players, particularly goalkeeper and vice-captain Ronwen Williams, have become targets of criticism from dissatisfied fans. Cardoso condemned this criticism and instead called for unity.

'We could have achieved an even better result, but more importantly, people must understand that supporting this team is what is needed,' said Cardoso. 'These guys need support. The team has gone through many changes and losses.' He concluded that the more support the team receives, the better it can develop, noting that the team was not bad previously, nor was it fantastic on this day.

Despite the support and care from Mamelodi Sundowns club, coach Miguel Cardoso admitted that winger Monnapule Saleng constantly let the team down by not attending training sessions.

Miguel Cardoso, the coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, stated that the club made every effort to integrate the problematic forward Monnapule Saleng into the squad, but the player regularly violated team and club rules by disappearing without warning.

Cardoso recently announced that Saleng was isolated from the squad due to indiscipline. This news shocked the football community, as Saleng's move to Sundowns was seen as a chance for a career revival after similar disciplinary issues at Orlando Pirates and Orbit College.

Saleng's agent, Karabo Matang-Tshubuze from P Management, confirmed Cardoso's words on Metro FM’s Sport Night Live With Andile Ncube. She noted that the agency would do everything possible to support her client, but he must be prepared to receive psychological help.

Details on Absences

Speaking at a press conference before the semi-final match against Golden Arrows at Lucas Moriphe Stadium, Cardoso detailed how Saleng constantly let the team down. He recounted: "Imagine you train with him all week, include him in the matchday squad, and on game day, when you are waiting for him by the bus, he simply doesn't show up."

The coach added that such incidents happened not once, but three or four times. He also noted that Saleng often arrived late and left early, which seriously hinders the player's development.

Despite these difficulties, Cardoso emphasized that the coaching staff and the team continued to support Saleng. "We tried to help him at the beginning of the season. We gave him love. Even after he let us down many times, our attitude did not change—we kept accepting him," said Cardoso.

He also mentioned that he personally tried to convince the player of his desire to become part of the club family, noting: "My assistant even showed me a photo where I was dancing with him during the team celebration. I personally tried to explain to him that we want him to be integrated into the family. But he had to show that he wanted to be a part of it too."