Miguel Cardoso questions Mamelodi Sundowns’ disciplinary record before Golden Arrows tie

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has questioned why his side continue to collect yellow cards and suspensions, claiming referees are not protecting his players as well as those of rivals Orlando Pirates.

Sundowns travel to face Lamontville Golden Arrows in the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with the 3pm kick-off coming after a 1-0 first-leg defeat at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium last Sunday.

The result increased scrutiny on Sundowns, who have produced inconsistent performances since the start of the season. Before losing to Golden Arrows, the club had won three matches and drawn one, a run that saw them move level with champions Orlando Pirates at the top of the Betway Premiership and qualify for the MTN8 semi-finals by beating Polokwane City in the quarter-final.

However, Sundowns have faced criticism for conceding too many goals, particularly from set-pieces. Their defensive problems continued in the first-leg loss to Golden Arrows and in Wednesday’s 5-2 Betway Premiership victory over AmaZulu at Loftus.

Although Sundowns’ attacking display against AmaZulu was emphatic, the goals they conceded remained a focus of discussion. Cardoso believes that criticism has been excessive and says the team can continue to improve, beginning with the possibility of overturning the deficit in Durban.

“The team will grow consistently throughout,” Cardoso said. “The more stability the team gets, the better it will be. The better the quality, the better the team will be. The players and coaches are not bad after one match; they’ll consistently get better with time.”

Cardoso also argued that refereeing decisions have affected Sundowns’ ability to perform at their best this season and last season. He claimed the club’s players have received significantly more disciplinary punishment than Orlando Pirates.

“I am not happy seeing my players getting so many yellow cards. It’s perhaps good to note that in six games, we have already received 15 yellow cards,” Cardoso said. “It’s difficult to understand how a team like Sundowns, which dominates matches – you can look at possession and statistics – still gets so many yellow cards.

“Last season, we had 53 yellow cards and Pirates had 28. We had four red cards, Pirates had zero. The yellow cards lead to suspensions as we go deeper into the season. Those suspensions affect us in the latter stages of the season. I speak to the referees: please look at the way my team is targeted.

“Let’s hope that this situation can be corrected. We want our players to play matches throughout and until the end, like the teams we are competing against. The rules are the same for everybody.”

Teboho Mokoena is one of the players Cardoso believes has not received enough protection from officials. The Bafana Bafana international was injured in Sundowns’ opening match of the season against Polokwane City after recently returning from the World Cup.

He missed the next four matches before coming back in the 5-2 win against AmaZulu, scoring a powerful set-piece. Cardoso is pleased to have the midfielder available again and expects him to strengthen the team against Abafana Bes’thende on Sunday.

“When you have the best players available, the team, coaches, and players all become stronger,” Cardoso said. “I don’t have to speak about myself or the quality of Teboho. He’s a very stable player in the squad. He’s an important player.

“In the midfield, we have unfortunately lost Jayden Adams, someone that we must hold dear. So, when the pairing is broken, and we lose both players who gave us stability throughout the season, any team will suffer and struggle.

“We lost even more – in the central back region of the pitch, we lost Keanu Cupido. We lost Brayan Leon, and he’s gradually coming back. So, we need to support these boys. They have every intention to do well. Support from everyone will be key in helping us find consistency.”