Sundowns curtailed MTN8 celebrations before rapid fixture turnaround

Mamelodi Sundowns limited their celebrations after winning the MTN8 so they could begin preparing immediately for a demanding run of fixtures, head coach Miguel Cardoso has said.

Sundowns lifted the trophy after beating Orlando Pirates 2-0 at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, but their celebrations were deliberately brought to an early close. The players trained the following morning before travelling to face Richards Bay FC in the Betway Premiership.

They continued their strong start to the season with a 4-1 victory over Richards Bay at Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban on Tuesday, with Iqraam Rayners among those on the scoresheet.

Sundowns now travel to Angola to play Wiliete SC in the second qualifying round of the CAF Champions League on Sunday afternoon.

Cardoso said the squad had been allowed to mark their MTN8 success, but with clear limits in place to ensure the players were ready for the next match.

“Yeah, absolutely. It’s really work that has to be done with a very serious approach, and the level of proficiency from all the staff and the players allows us to shift focus so quickly. Because obviously, we had the right to celebrate, and we celebrated,” said Cardoso.

“We set a time when everybody had to go to sleep, which was entirely reasonable. So we were all together in celebration, but when it was time to sleep, we went to sleep, and our focus shifted straight to recovery.”

The coach added that the squad returned to its normal routine the next day, with some players involved in recovery work and others completing an early training session.

“The very next morning, the team trained as normal, with some players doing recovery and others training early. No one went to bed too late, as is obvious that’s the level of commitment we need to have.”

The victory over Richards Bay was also important in the Betway Premiership title race. Sundowns moved to 23 points at the top of the table, maintaining a one-point advantage over Orlando Pirates.

Pirates remained second after beating TS Galaxy.

Cardoso said Sundowns had approached the Richards Bay match with the same level of seriousness despite the short gap between games and the celebrations that preceded it.

“Understanding the importance of every match is what is at stake here. We respect all our opponents very much. We didn’t take anything for granted in this match against a team that had just changed their coach, which brings new energy as they try to turn things around,” he said.

The Portuguese coach was pleased with the way his players responded to the demands placed on them and their ability to remain focused.

“I’m really pleased because the boys react, they understand, and they are proactive that is obviously a crucial mindset for this group to have,” said Cardoso.