Mokoena played through pain to help Sundowns win MTN8, says Cardoso

Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena played through pain to help his side beat Orlando Pirates 2-0 in the MTN8 final, coach Miguel Cardoso has revealed.

Mokoena had been a major doubt for Saturday’s final at Moses Mabhida Stadium after suffering a knee collateral ligament tear while on international duty with South Africa.

However, the midfielder was a surprise inclusion in the starting line-up against defending champions Orlando Pirates and made an immediate impact by scoring in the 11th minute to put Sundowns ahead.

The Brazilians went on to secure a 2-0 victory, denying the Buccaneers the opportunity to retain the trophy.

Cardoso praised Mokoena’s determination to feature despite his injury, while also acknowledging the work of the Sundowns medical team and their counterparts in the Bafana Bafana setup.

“The work on all the players that got injured with the national team started exactly in the national team because they were submitted to treatment immediately,” Cardoso said.

“They were treated in Egypt at the highest level by the doctors of the national team.”

The Sundowns coach also commended the communication between the two medical teams and the efforts made to assess and treat the injured players upon their return.

“As soon as the players arrived, I want to congratulate the work of our medical department, first with the communication they established with the national team, and by the commitment they had on immediately trying to evaluate the players,” he added.

Cardoso said the players’ commitment to recovering in time for the final was equally important, highlighting their willingness to undergo treatment and make themselves available for selection.

Mokoena was not the only Sundowns player whose fitness was in doubt, with defender Aubrey Modiba also carrying an injury sustained while on international duty.

Despite his contribution to the victory, Cardoso stressed that Mokoena had not fully recovered and was still experiencing pain during the match.

“He had not trained recently, and I think it was clear, he started slowly for him and it was quite difficult to pick up the pace,” Cardoso said.

“But he is a high-profile player, and gave his best, and I think he finished the game very, very, very tired, but giving the best to the team.”

Mokoena’s early goal proved crucial as Sundowns claimed the MTN8 title, with the midfielder’s performance underlining his importance to the South African champions despite his fitness concerns.