Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has reacted to the costly late blunder by Khulumani Ndamane, which saw the Brazilians drop two vital points against Stellenbosch FC on Wednesday night.
The two sides played out to a 1-1 draw in their Betway Premiership encounter at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
Masandawana appeared to be cruising toward a narrow victory after Tsiki Ntsabeleng broke the deadlock in the 27th minute. However, the complexion of the game shifted dramatically in the 84th minute. Ndamane, a Bafana Bafana international, committed what many would describe as a schoolboy error, bringing down Chumani Butsaka inside the area despite the attacker posing little threat on the edge of the box.
Orlando Pirates loanee Tshegofatso Mabasa stepped up to the spot and, despite Ronwen Williams saving his initial penalty attempt, the striker was quickest to react, burying the rebound in the 86th minute. The late equaliser ensured the spoils were shared, helping Stellies secure a vital point as they push closer to a Top 8 finish.
‘MISTAKES HAPPEN IN A GAME’: MIGUEL CARDOSO
Speaking to the media after the game, Cardoso refused to scapegoat his defender, emphasising that mistakes are part of the sport.
“Look, mistakes happen in a game. Many goals result from mistakes. I’m pretty sure that if you take a look at the goal we scored, there was somehow a mistake from the Stellenbosch player,” said Cardoso.
“I think it was obvious that we controlled the game from beginning to end. What I would say, and I think is important, is that we also have challenges like any other club. It is important to understand this. Sometimes, people talk about the depth of the squad and that we have a lot of high-quality players. But we also face challenges that everyone has.”
‘PEOPLE LIKE TO MAKE FLOWERS OUT OF SITUATIONS’: MIGUEL CARDOSO
Cardoso also expressed his views on external narratives regarding Sundowns’ star-studded squad, suggesting that maintaining high standards is more difficult than it looks from the outside.
“People like to make flowers out of situations that they cannot even imagine. The challenges are very big, and when challenges are big, the team needs to work according to the level of those challenges to be on par,” added the former ES Tunis mentor.
“I think the club has been showing that we are at the height of that, and we need to avoid having situations where we can be exposed through small mistakes. If they happen, we should be able to cover them. When it’s four minutes before the end of the match, it is quite difficult.”
The Chloorkop-based side currently occupies second place in the Betway Premiership standings with 57 points, trailing log leaders Pirates by a single point. However, Masandawana hold a crucial game in hand.
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