Sundowns supporter says ‘Cardoso must go’ chants came from betting fans

Mamelodi Sundowns supporter Sello Mello says those calling for head coach Miguel Cardoso to leave the club do not represent the club’s committed fanbase.

A section of supporters chanted “Cardoso must go” as the Sundowns team bus left Loftus Versfeld Stadium after Sunday’s 3-1 defeat by USM Alger in the CAF Super Cup.

Mello, a prominent Sundowns supporter, said he was not involved in the protest and had only seen the incident on social media.

“I’m a very well-known disciplined person; I respect my brand. So, I was not part of that group who chanted ‘Cardoso must go’,” he said.

“Those are isolated people, not die-hard fans like us.”

Cardoso said early injuries to Nuno Santos and Brayan Leon, along with heavy rain and poor pitch conditions, had disrupted Sundowns’ plans during the match.

Mello acknowledged the difficult conditions but rejected the idea that they should be used as an excuse. He said the Algerian side had caused Sundowns problems on the counter-attack and suggested that Loftus Versfeld Stadium needed more drainage on the left side of the pitch.

“The weather costed us a lot, but we can’t blame the weather. That team showed us they are the best and they gave us problems with their counter-attacks,” he said.

The defeat ended Sundowns’ hopes of winning the trophy and cost the club the chance to claim the R8 million prize money. Mello believes some of the anger directed at Cardoso is being driven by supporters who bet on matches.

“It’s those who are addicted to betting who are chanting ‘Cardoso must go’,” he said. “Once you start betting, you stop enjoying football and become more concerned about the result. You forget that in football, there is win, lose or draw.”

He added that Cardoso had already delivered the MTN8 and the league, asking when Sundowns had last won the MTN8. Mello also thanked the club’s management for refusing to react to the criticism.

Sundowns had hoped to win every competition this season after also missing out on defending their CAF Champions League title. Mello said the team’s counter-attacking approach had proved decisive, while accepting the result as a supporter.

He is satisfied with Cardoso’s use of the squad and praised the coach for rotating his players rather than selecting the same team in every match. However, he said Mothobi Mvala, who had performed well in the previous two games, could have started.

Mello admitted Sundowns supporters were accustomed to constant success and could therefore appear spoiled when results dipped.

Some fans also called for former coach Rulani Mokwena to return. Mello said Sundowns welcomed back anyone who had left on good terms and expressed a wish for Manqoba Mngqithi to return as part of the technical team.

To win back full support, Mello believes Cardoso must deliver the Carling Knockout and the league. He added that supporters continued attending funerals and supporters’ branch launches every week without payment, saying they did so out of love for Sundowns.