Sundowns coach Cardoso disagrees with Victor Letsoalo’s Man of the Match award after TS Galaxy thriller

Mamelldi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso insists his midfielder Pitso Mkhulise was more deserving of the Man of the Match award than TS Galaxy striker Victor Letsoalo following their South African Premiership encounter at Mbombela Stadium.

Letsoalo received the individual accolade despite Sundowns securing a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Galaxy, but Cardoso felt Mkhulise’s decisive contribution after coming off the bench made him the standout player of the match.

Mkhulise scored twice after being introduced as a substitute, helping Sundowns secure all three points in a thrilling contest.

“I think he deserved to the Man of the Match today,” said Cardoso after the game.

“Sorry by all the work Letsoalo did but I think today, the Man of the Match would very deservedly be Pitso Mkhulise by what he means for the club for us.

“He’s a player with a fantastic character because he’s able to sustain the aggression despite sometimes not being called.

“But we know we have a brother, we have a friend, we have someone that has quality and when we bring him we know what to expect.

“Today, he gave us the energy we needed and the goals also. I picked him on my shoulder, I took him in front of the fans, because he deserved to be carried by me because he carried us also towards the result we needed.”

Cardoso’s comments underline the importance of Mkhulise’s contribution to Sundowns’ comeback as the midfielder made an immediate impact after being introduced from the bench.

He praised the player’s attitude and professionalism, particularly his ability to remain focused and maintain a positive approach despite not always being selected in the starting XI.

For Cardoso, Mkhulise’s brace was more than enough evidence of his influence on the game, with the midfielder providing the energy and goals Sundowns needed to overcome a determined TS Galaxy side.

The victory further underlined Sundowns’ squad depth, with Mkhulise once again demonstrating that he can make a significant difference when called upon.