Teboho Mokoena produces again as Sundowns show late character

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso praised the resilience of his players after Teboho Mokoena delivered another decisive late moment in their 2-1 Betway Premiership victory over Golden Arrows.

The result, secured in KwaZulu-Natal last weekend, moved Sundowns three points clear at the top of the league standings.

Cardoso’s side had to overcome a difficult contest and moments of adversity before claiming the win. The Portuguese coach said his players needed to concentrate on the aspects of the match they could influence, particularly after an incident that left Sundowns exposed while playing with 10 men.

Golden Arrows took advantage of that situation to score, but Sundowns continued to push for a winning goal rather than allowing the match to drift towards a draw.

“Whatever happens with the referees we have to focus on the game and we cannot be with 10 players in the pitch and still continue to play instead of putting the ball out,” Cardoso told SuperSport TV.

“I don’t want to comment on what happened, it is not important.

“We have to deal with what we can control and what we could control was put the ball out and bring a player inside because the referee was not allowing Bryan to go inside and we suffer a goal with one man down that is absolutely impossible to happen, but it happens.

“What was beautiful to see was how the team went for the goal, we knew that we had that character, in a moment that we were more obviously focused on finishing the game rather than really have to go for it but bravo, bravo.”

The victory again underlined Sundowns’ ability to find a way through challenging games. Although Cardoso stressed the importance of the team’s collective response, the winning moment came from a player who has repeatedly influenced matches at key stages.

Mokoena scored the decisive goal against Golden Arrows, adding to his reputation as a player capable of producing when Sundowns are under pressure.

Cardoso said the midfielder had once again shown his importance in high-pressure situations, while making clear that the result was also a reflection of the character displayed by the squad as a whole.

“Teboho [Mokoena] is a man of high moments and he appeared again but the team showed a very good character,” he said.

The victory keeps Sundowns at the summit and gives them further momentum as they prepare for their next Betway Premiership fixture.

Their attention now turns to Wednesday night’s meeting with Siwelele, when Mokoena is expected to remain a central figure in Cardoso’s plans.