Sundowns boss Cardoso warns yellow-card count could damage title bid

Mamelodi Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso says his side’s growing number of yellow cards could undermine their Betway Premiership title challenge, after they beat AmaZulu 5-2 at Loftus Stadium on Wednesday night.

Cardoso was also booked for dissent during the match after questioning the officials’ decisions. He said Sundowns had already collected 15 yellow cards in their first five matches and warned that suspensions could become increasingly damaging as the season develops.

“I’m pretty happy, I’m just not happy with seeing my players receive so many yellow cards. I think it’s important that we understand that we have already in five matches, 15 yellow cards,” Cardoso said.

Sundowns surrendered the Betway Premiership title to Orlando Pirates last season, and Cardoso believes disciplinary records could again have a significant effect on the championship race.

The Portuguese coach highlighted the contrast between Sundowns’ card totals and those of their opponents, despite his team regularly dominating possession.

“A team like Sundowns that dominates match after match you’ll go to see the stats and you’ll see how much ball possession we have. We finished with four yellow cards, AmaZulu with one.

“We played Golden Arrows, we finished with three, Golden Arrows with one We played Marumo Gallants, we finished with one yellowcard, Marumo with zero. Chiefs was 4, 4 (yellowcards), Polokwane 2, 2 but Polokwane shouldn’t have had one but three yellow cards.

“Just for you to understand, last year we had 53 yellow cards, Pirates had 28. We had four redcards, Pirates had zero red cards. The yellowcards put players out as we go through the championship and those matches in the front will speak for this championship. For the referees please pay attention to the way you are so easily coming to target my players because it’s too easy to target my players.”

Sundowns’ coach also called for greater consistency from match officials and said he wanted his players to be treated in the same way as those representing their title rivals.

Cardoso referred to an incident involving a goal scored by Bryan during the victory over AmaZulu. The goal was disallowed, and he questioned whether the referee was in the right position to make the decision.

“An it’s time to understand that like that situation of the goal that Bryan scored, in the moment we finished the game, we made 5-2 and the game is finished, they disallowed the goal because the referee is not on the line, at the sideline, he’s three meters behind of course he cannot make the decision,” the coach added.

He said further yellow cards could leave important players unavailable for the decisive matches later in the campaign, potentially affecting Sundowns’ attempt to reclaim the league title.

“Let’s hope indeed the situation can be corrected because the yellow cards will take players out in the front and we want our players to play as much as the players from the teams that we fight against. The rules are the same for everybody.”

Sundowns’ emphatic win over AmaZulu came after a series of matches in which Cardoso said his team had continued to receive more bookings than, or the same number as, their opponents. He believes that pattern must change if his side are to compete on equal terms with Orlando Pirates and the other leading teams throughout the championship.