Mamelodi Sundowns face MTN8 fightback after Golden Arrows shock

Mamelodi Sundowns must overturn a 1-0 deficit in the MTN8 semi-final after Miguel Cardoso said his side “slept” following an extended stoppage in their first-leg defeat by Lamontville Golden Arrows.

The Brazilians were beaten at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday and will now need a stronger attacking performance in next weekend’s return leg in Umlazi to keep their hopes of winning the competition alive.

Sundowns dominated much of the match but were unable to turn their possession into clear chances. Golden Arrows took advantage of a breakdown in the visitors’ defensive organisation when Junior Dion scored in the 38th minute.

Cardoso felt the match changed after a lengthy interruption caused by an injury to the Arrows goalkeeper. The resulting substitution took about seven minutes to complete, disrupting Sundowns’ momentum before they conceded.

“I think we had a good start until the substitution of their goalkeeper and that took us off our rhythm because it took about seven minutes to make the substitution and then we slept until half time,” he told SuperSport TV.

The Portuguese coach was also unhappy with the circumstances surrounding the goal, saying it reflected the defensive error Sundowns had made in their recent Betway Premiership meeting with Kaizer Chiefs.

Cardoso said his players must address those lapses if they are to challenge successfully on more than one front during the season.

“It’s a similar mistake to the one we made against (Kaizer) Chiefs where we were not properly positioned in the rest defence and then we suffered a goal,” he said.

“And it’s time to learn from these things because we can’t dominate the game and suffer the same problem.”

The result gives Golden Arrows a narrow but important advantage before the second leg, which will be played at their home ground in Umlazi. Pitso Dladla’s side can now progress by protecting their lead, while Sundowns face the task of finding a way through a defence that limited their attacking threat in the opening match.

Despite the setback, Cardoso rejected the suggestion that the tie had been decided. He reminded his players that only half of the contest had been completed and said Sundowns still had 90 minutes in which to change the outcome.

“But this is also half time of the match, let’s see what will happen when we go to Arrows,” Cardoso added.

Sundowns’ defeat leaves them with little margin for error in the return fixture. Their control of possession in the first leg was not matched by enough penetration or clear-cut opportunities, and Cardoso will expect his side to improve in both areas if they are to recover from the surprise loss.

Aubrey Modiba of Mamelodi Sundowns reacts during the 2026 MTN8 semi-final first-leg match against Lamontville Golden Arrows at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday.

Image: BackpagePix