Cardoso says Mohafe has made Sundowns’ meetings difficult

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says facing Marumo Gallants manager Phuti Mohafe has consistently been a difficult challenge, as the two prepare to meet in Wednesday’s Betway Premiership clash.

Cardoso was speaking at a pre-match press conference at Chloorkop before the fixture at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. He reflected on his previous encounters with Mohafe, including their meetings during Cardoso’s time in charge of Polokwane City.

The Sundowns coach said Mohafe had repeatedly found ways to make matches challenging for his teams, while also praising the quality of the Marumo Gallants squad.

Cardoso also raised concerns about some Polokwane City home matches being moved to the smaller Old Peter Mokaba Stadium. He believes playing at that venue restricted Sundowns’ ability to produce their best football and suggested the change may have been part of a deliberate strategy by opponents.

“Look, first of all, Marumo has players that are very interesting. Secondly, it’s true. The coach, in the past, he made difficult times, life for Sundowns,” said Cardoso.

“I also remember that most of those matches were played in that second stadium in Polokwane. It was like a strategy to take Sundowns there to not allow the game to be played in the way it has to be played.

“That is something that I really also want to praise because when we went to play TS Galaxy, it was an appeal to change the game to a smaller stadium, and the league didn’t allow that to happen when we showed that. And that is also a step forward. We just need to be consistent on that attitude.

“Best players or good matches should be played in the best pitches. That’s how South Africa will develop because that’s what we praised when we see the AFCON, we see the World Cup, we see the best matches in the Champions League. It’s teams providing conditions so that the football is well played.

“And look, we had a terrible, difficult match when we played Galaxy on the big stadiums. And the stadium was fantastic. The pitch was good.

“So, it’s not because of the pitch that teams can…It’s just a mental situation. It’s just the way teams have to commit themselves with developing for high level. So yeah, of course, it was a good challenge to face the coach again.

“Let’s hope we can succeed. But more than hope, let’s work for it to happen. Because hope will not bring nothing just by hope.”

Cardoso said the issue of stadiums and playing surfaces was directly linked to the wider development of football in South Africa. In his view, the country should ensure that its best players and matches are staged at the best available venues.

He pointed to the conditions associated with major international tournaments, including the AFCON and the World Cup, as well as the UEFA Champions League, where teams are given an environment that allows football to be played at a high level.

The Sundowns coach recalled that his side had experienced a difficult match against TS Galaxy despite playing at a larger stadium with a good pitch. That experience, he argued, showed that difficulty cannot simply be blamed on the playing surface.

Instead, Cardoso believes the challenge is also mental and depends on how fully teams commit to developing the standards required for elite football.

Sundowns will now attempt to turn that preparation into a positive result against Mohafe’s Marumo Gallants, with Cardoso insisting that success must be earned through work rather than hope.