Miguel Cardoso criticises Chippa United over ‘muddy’ venue choice

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has questioned Chippa United’s decision to move their league match to Buffalo City Stadium, saying his side should not be treated differently from Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.

The fixture had initially been due to take place at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, but the league ruled that conditions at the Gqeberha venue, including the playing surface, were unsuitable.

Chippa instead hosted Sundowns at the 16,000-capacity Buffalo City Stadium in KuGompo. Cardoso said he could not understand why the match was not moved to Kings Park Stadium in Durban, where Chippa had welcomed Orlando Pirates last month.

He also suggested wider political considerations could be influencing decisions over venues.

“I don’t want to make many comments. I think people need to think about the purpose, the intention and the direction they want for SA football; that’s the only thing,” Cardoso told the media after the match.

“There is a country in Africa that is different from other ones, Morocco. Just go there and watch what kind of politics and the direction of the development of the game [has taken]; and how conditions have been created so that the players [can] perform [at a] high level.

“And that is the direction that football has to take in SA because you cannot take one team to play in Durban in a big stadium and take the other to play here.”

Sundowns were held to a 1-1 draw after Antonio Van Wyk scored with the final kick of the match to salvage a point.

Chippa had taken the lead in the 78th minute through defender Sirgio Kammies, who had been introduced as a substitute only four minutes earlier.

Cardoso also raised questions about Golden Arrows’ venue choices for matches against Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs. He pointed out that Arrows had hosted Sundowns in two successive fixtures at King Zwelithini Stadium before choosing Mbombela Stadium for Sunday’s home game against Chiefs.

“You cannot go to Polokwane against Magesi on one pitch [Seshego Stadium last season] and take the other to another [vs Pirates at New Peter Mokaba Stadium],” he said.

“You cannot play two times against Arrows on the pitch we played, and immediately after, you take another team that is competing with us to a top stadium. So, there is something behind the sport policy that I don’t understand. But it is not my job to understand; you must go deeper on that and see the level of fairness.

“What I know is that in other countries things are not like this. This is not a football pitch; it is muddy.”

Sundowns will next turn their attention to their Fifa intercontinental competition fixture against Al-Ahli Saudi at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday, with kick-off at 3pm.