Cardoso praises Sundowns’ tactical display after Arrows victory

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso described his side’s 1-0 Carling Knockout quarter-final victory over Golden Arrows as a “beautiful match”, despite the lack of goals.

The Tshwane club secured their third win against Abafana Besthende this season on Tuesday evening, after the teams had already met twice in the MTN8 semi-finals and once in the Betway Premiership.

Cardoso said the encounter demanded patience and precision as Golden Arrows’ organised defence made it difficult for Sundowns to create openings.

“I think it was a beautiful match, well played. Of course, there were not many goals and when there are not many goals it can seem as if the game was not good, but it was,” Cardoso told SuperSport TV.

“It was a very tactical match, with a lot of intensity and a lot of difficulty in breaking Golden Arrows’ defensive structure. We knew it was important to have a lot of players outside to move the game from one side to the other, make them shift across and then try to penetrate from there.”

The coach believed Sundowns could have taken control earlier but praised the players for maintaining their discipline and composure.

“I think we could have scored in the first half and taken the lead, but the team stayed focused and kept its stability in its behaviour. Naturally, things happened, so congratulations to the boys,” he added.

Cardoso also revealed that Sundowns had carried out detailed preparation to limit the threat posed by the opposition striker, with Mothobi Mvala playing a key role in containing him.

“Yes, he is a striker who causes a lot of problems. We knew that very well and studied him carefully. We knew him from the previous matches,” Cardoso said.

“It was the fourth time we had played Golden Arrows this season and the first time we kept them at zero. That also came from the work the boys did.

“It was not only about controlling the space behind the defence, but also about controlling their movements inside the box. Congratulations to them; I think it was done well.”

Sundowns must now quickly turn their attention to the CAF Super Cup, with the champions of Africa due to face Algeria’s USM Alger in Tshwane on Sunday.

Cardoso said the squad would need to recover quickly before another demanding fixture.

“We know we have energy to bring. I told the boys the important thing was to take the game to a point where the finishers could finish it, and they did that well again,” he said.

“Now we need to gather our energy, rest and prepare for the weekend. There is a big one ahead.”