Cardoso demands greater protection for Sundowns star Mokoena

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has called for stronger protection for Teboho Mokoena after claiming opponents are using excessive force to limit the midfielder’s influence.

Mokoena is central to Sundowns’ style of play and has increasingly become a target for defenders attempting to disrupt the club’s attacking rhythm. Cardoso’s concerns intensified after the Bafana Bafana international was subjected to a series of heavy challenges during Sundowns’ MTN8 victory over Polokwane City last Saturday.

Mokoena scored in that match but was forced off late in the game because of injury discomfort. The problem subsequently ruled him out of Sundowns’ trip to TS Galaxy on Tuesday, where Cardoso’s side secured all three points at Mbombela.

Speaking after the win, Cardoso criticised the lack of punishment for the challenge that injured Mokoena and said South African football could not celebrate the player’s achievements while failing to safeguard him during domestic matches.

“Teboho Mokoena was not in the match today, and I would like to speak about that,” said Cardoso after getting all three points at Mbombela.

“I think it is important that South Africa understands that we have to protect our players.

“We cannot come back from the World Cup and make Teboho a national hero, then when he plays his first match on South African soil, we allow such aggressive action over him without being penalised.

“I don’t know if you have a chance to see, but this is the injury that was provoked on Teboho Mokoena.

“It is a very rough one, and this player (from Polokwane City) was not even yellow-carded on this action.

“There were many situations in the last match that I could refer to, but what I mean is we have to protect our players and referees should in general… and this is a positive approach critique.

Cardoso said the issue went beyond one tackle and argued that referees needed to take a broader view of challenges against players who try to play positively.

“We should protect players that want to play football.

“We play fair.

“Even playing fair sometimes is not enough because if we look properly at the last game (against Polokwane) there were two or three players of the opponent that should have been red-carded.

“Then the match would not have gone to extra time,” says Cardoso.

The Sundowns coach’s comments followed a match in which Mokoena’s absence was directly linked to the injury sustained against Polokwane City. Cardoso maintained that several incidents in the MTN8 fixture had crossed the line and that stronger disciplinary action could have changed the course of the contest.

Mokoena’s importance to Sundowns has made him a regular focus for opposition teams seeking to reduce his impact. Cardoso believes that allowing repeated aggressive challenges to go unpunished risks disadvantaging players who are central to how their teams perform.

The coach’s remarks also come as attention remains focused on the treatment of leading South African players in domestic football. He argued that Mokoena should not be celebrated as a national figure in major international contexts, only to be left exposed when returning to action on home soil.

Sundowns’ victory at TS Galaxy ensured they collected all three points despite Mokoena’s absence. The midfielder’s injury status remains the immediate concern for Cardoso, who wants officials to do more to prevent similar incidents in future matches.