Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso unhappy with defensive lapses despite win

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has attributed his side’s recent defensive vulnerabilities to the absence of several key players in his backline.

The Brazilians continued their strong start to the campaign on Sunday, edging Golden Arrows 2-1 at the King Zwelithini Stadium, but once again conceded a goal despite creating enough opportunities to secure a more comfortable victory.

Cardoso believes Sundowns’ defensive issues are largely a consequence of the constant changes to his backline, with several trusted players currently unavailable.

The Portuguese coach pointed to the absence of Keanu Cupido, Nuno Santos, Arthur Sales and Khuliso Mudau as key factors affecting the team’s defensive stability.

“Keanu Cupido is not on the pitch, Nuno Santos is not on the pitch, Arthur Sales is not on the pitch, and I could say that Khuliso Mudau is not on the pitch,” Cardoso said after the match.

“So, there are a lot of changes that also obviously bring the need to find the connections. It will settle down.”

The Sundowns coach acknowledged that he would prefer his side to concede fewer goals, but insisted that the team’s attacking output has helped compensate for their defensive shortcomings.

“Obviously, I would like to have less goals suffered in the moment, but I am pretty happy because we are also scoring a lot,” he added.

Cardoso believes the bigger picture remains positive, with Sundowns making an impressive start to the season despite the challenges posed by injuries and changes to the defensive unit.

“And I think if you go back and see, probably we are making one of the best starts from the last many years,” he said.

The victory over Golden Arrows further strengthened Sundowns’ early-season momentum, although Cardoso will be aware that defensive consistency will be crucial as the campaign becomes more demanding.

With several of his preferred defenders still unavailable, the coach has been forced to rotate his backline and build new partnerships. He expects those combinations to improve as the players gain a better understanding of each other.

For now, Sundowns’ ability to continue finding the back of the net has helped mask some of their defensive concerns. However, Cardoso will be hoping the return of his key defenders can bring greater stability and reduce the number of goals his side concede.

The 2-1 win at King Zwelithini Stadium ultimately provided another important three points, and Cardoso remains encouraged by what he considers one of Sundowns’ strongest starts in recent years.