Cardoso criticises Loftus Versfeld pitch after Sundowns’ Super Cup defeat

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso blamed difficult playing conditions at Loftus Versfeld Stadium after his side lost 3-1 to USM Alger in the CAF Super Cup.

The African champions had been aiming to win the trophy for a second time, having previously lifted it in 2017, but their preparations were disrupted when midfielder Nuno Santos was injured during the warm-up. Cassius Mailula came on as his replacement.

Sundowns also fell behind when Zakaria Draoui opened the scoring, although Iqraam Rayners equalised from the penalty spot before half-time. USM Alger ultimately regained control to secure victory.

Cardoso said the match had been made more difficult by the injuries, mistakes and condition of the pitch.

“Yes, a very uncharacteristic match since the beginning, if you want to speak about what happened before the match you’ll never believe. Of course, there are a few mistakes a lot of mistakes mostly on the goals we made mistakes,” Cardoso told SABC Sport.

“I think we were strong while we tried to resist, but then we could not. Second half with the pitch it was very difficult to play, it was very difficult to overcome the difficulties altogether.

“It’s not easy to come with on the warm-up, prepare the match and suffer a loss of a player that is a key player after ten minutes you lose a striker and have to make another sub.

“You suffer a goal on a mistake, you still go for the equaliser and then immediately after you suffer a second goal. A lot of aggression, I think we had 45 minutes to turn around but when I came out I saw the pitch then I understood that Sundowns could use the football they are used to play.

“It made remember when I was lucky here playing against Sundowns, we just resisted because the pitch was exactly like this, this is not the condition to play the game for us. It’s not how we want to play and can play, I think the boys tried, but the mistakes that we did in the moment we should not were not possible to overcome.

“Very uncharacteristic, I’m very sorry for our fans, they were here today, we wanted to give them joy for our chairman, board and I feel a lot of pain today because of that. But a lot of uncharacteristic today, it’s so difficult today but really a tough one,” he added.

Sundowns were unable to add a second CAF Super Cup to their 2017 triumph as USM Alger claimed the title after a match Cardoso described as unlike the team’s usual performances.