Cardoso admits Sundowns must learn from ‘difficult’ Arrows defeat

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has outlined what went wrong for his team after they suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Lamontville Golden Arrows in the first leg of their MTN8 semi-final.

The result leaves Sundowns facing a deficit as they prepare for the second leg of the tie, with Lamontville Golden Arrows taking an important advantage from the opening match.

Cardoso described the defeat as a “difficult” day for the reigning CAF Champions League winners and reflected on the performance in his post-match comments.

Sundowns went into the semi-final as the side expected to progress, but they were unable to find a way past Lamontville Golden Arrows and ultimately fell to a narrow defeat. The result has turned the contest into a more demanding challenge for Cardoso’s team, who will now need to overturn the one-goal difference in the return fixture.

The Sundowns coach was asked to assess the factors behind the unexpected result and explain why his side had struggled during the match. His response covered the problems he felt affected the team and the wider significance of losing the first leg.

Although the defeat was by a single goal, Lamontville Golden Arrows have placed themselves in a strong position in the MTN8 semi-final. Sundowns will have to respond in the second leg if they are to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive.

Cardoso, who has guided Sundowns as CAF Champions League winners, acknowledged the difficulty of the occasion while offering his assessment of the performance. His comments provide an insight into how the coach viewed the setback and what went wrong for his side against Lamontville Golden Arrows.

Watch the video below to hear Cardoso’s full explanation of the “difficult” day and his further comments after Sundowns’ shock defeat.