Miguel Cardoso, coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, claims that his side is targeted by referees with yellow cards and suspensions while rivals Orlando Pirates enjoy better treatment.
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Mamelodi Sundowns can only get better with time, which is why coach Miguel Cardoso has condemned the criticism that has befallen the team ahead of their MTN8 semi-final, second-leg clash away to Lamontville Golden Arrows at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Sundowns face Arrows in the 3pm kick-off needing a win after losing the first leg 1-0 at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium last Sunday. That defeat added more scrutiny to the team, especially having blown hot and cold since the start of the season.
Prior to that defeat, Sundowns had won three games and drawn one. This saw them go top of the Betway Premiership standings alongside champions Orlando Pirates and reach the MTN8 semi-final after beating Polokwane City in the quarter-final.
While they may have done their bit, the team was still heavily criticised for conceding goals, especially from set-pieces. Their leaky defence has continued, with the team conceding in the loss to Arrows and the 5-2 win over AmaZulu in the league at Loftus on Wednesday.
Despite the win and a ruthless attack, Sundowns were still scrutinised for the goals conceded. Knowing that they still have a chance to improve against Arrows in Durban, Cardoso believes the criticism of the team is unfair.
“The team will grow consistently throughout,” Cardoso said. “The more stability the team gets, the better it will be. The better the quality, the better the team will be. The players and coaches are not bad after one match; they'll consistently get better with time.”
Cardoso believes that they haven’t been able to perform at their best since the start of this season and during the last one due to referees not protecting his players enough. He went as far as insisting that their bitter rivals were more protected than others.
“I am not happy seeing my players getting so many yellow cards. It’s perhaps good to note that in six games, we have already received 15 yellow cards,” Cardoso said. “It’s difficult to understand how a team like Sundowns, which dominates matches – you can look at possession and statistics – still gets so many yellow cards.
“Last season, we had 53 yellow cards and Pirates had 28. We had four red cards, Pirates had zero. The yellow cards lead to suspensions as we go deeper into the season. Those suspensions affect us in the latter stages of the season. I speak to the referees: please look at the way my team is targeted.
“Let’s hope that this situation can be corrected. We want our players to play matches throughout and until the end, like the teams we are competing against. The rules are the same for everybody.”
One of the Sundowns players who Cardoso bemoaned received little protection from the referees this season was Teboho Mokoena. The Bafana Bafana international, fresh from returning from the World Cup, was injured in the first game of the season against Polokwane.
Mokoena missed Sundowns’ next four matches and returned in the thrashing of Usuthu with a scorcher of a set-piece. Cardoso is pleased to have his anchorman back and fully fit, believing that he’ll be a great addition going forward, starting against Abafana Bes'thende on Sunday.
“When you have the best players available, the team, coaches, and players all become stronger,” Cardoso said. “I don’t have to speak about myself or the quality of Teboho. He’s a very stable player in the squad. He’s an important player.
“In the midfield, we have unfortunately lost Jayden Adams, someone that we must hold dear. So, when the pairing is broken, and we lose both players who gave us stability throughout the season, any team will suffer and struggle.
“We lost even more – in the central back region of the pitch, we lost Keanu Cupido. We lost Brayan León, and he’s gradually coming back. So, we need to support these boys. They have every intention to do well. Support from everyone will be key in helping us find consistency.”
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