Mamelodi Sundowns coach Cardoso rejects talk of decline after AmaZulu win

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Cardoso has rejected suggestions that his side are below their best this season, pointing to their position at the top of the Betway Premiership after Wednesday’s 5-2 victory over AmaZulu at Loftus Stadium.

The Portuguese coach reacted angrily when asked whether The Brazilians had reached their highest level yet, insisting their points tally showed they remained firmly on course ahead of what is expected to be a closely fought title race.

“Who is in the first position in this championship? Two teams at the top of the log, what do you want to be? There’s no more than the top of the log, where do you want us to be? More than top of the log?,” Cardoso said.

Cardoso questioned why the focus had shifted from Sundowns’ performances and results to perceived shortcomings, arguing that the team’s development should be viewed over the course of the season.

“The question that comes on the heads of people, when you speak about Sundowns, why are you today not praising the show that the team gave and we are speaking about where the team should be.

“Why are you looking at the negative side of Sundowns, the supporters of Sundowns should not eat this talk. It is not the narrative that we have to buy. The team will grow consistently throughout the season as much stability the team gets, the better it will be. The more quality players we have, the better the team will be.”

The coach also insisted there were no concerns within the squad and that the situation at the club remained calm.

His comments came after Tashreeq Matthews was named Man of the Match against AmaZulu. Cardoso used the opportunity to defend the forward against what he considers excessive criticism.

Matthews has faced scrutiny for missed chances, including during the World Cup and Sundowns’ final against Pyramids. Cardoso said the important measure was not the mistake itself, but how the player responded afterwards.

“I also think that Tashreeq is too criticised, too criticised because sometimes he wants to do well. I know that in the World Cup there was a goal he could have scored, in the final against Pyramids there was a goal he could have scored,” the coach added.

“Yes, there was but the question isn’t the one that he didn’t score, it’s the ones that he scores after he fails because today I embraced him and told him exactly that. It’s not important after you fail, it’s important how you react that speaks for you, not the mistake you made.

“Mistakes you have to avoid and obviously grow from them but how you show your character as you finish the match continuously playing the way he had to play and this is how we need to support our players.”

The emphatic win over AmaZulu reinforced Sundowns’ strong start to the campaign, while Cardoso maintained that continued stability and the availability of quality players would allow the team to improve further as the season progresses.