Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has hit out at Kaizer Chiefs’ ‘tricks’ following a bruising 1-1 draw at Loftus Versfeld, claiming only one side showed any true intention of winning the game on Wednesday night.
Cardoso’s troops dropped two crucial points during the draw at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium but moved three points above Betway Premiership title race rivals Orlando Pirates, who still have a game in hand.
The Buccaneers also have a better goal difference compared to Sundowns, meaning a win against Magesi FC on Saturday could take them to the top of the table with only two games left in the league. The Soweto giants are on 62 points after 27 games, while Sundowns are on 65 points after 28 games as the race seems to be going down to the wire.”
However, Cardoso was not impressed with what he saw on the field in Pretoria on Wednesday against Amakhosi, saying there is still a lot to do to develop football in the country.
WHY MAMELODI SUNDOWNS COACH WAS LEFT UNIMPRESSED AFTER DRAW AGAINST KAIZER CHIEFS
Loftus Versfeld became a battlefield as the clash descended into “war.” High-flying tackles saw both Mduduzi Shabalala and Keanu Cupido stretchered off to the hospital, while Jayden Adams’ dismissal saw Sundowns finish with 10 men in a bruising 1-1 draw.
“I think you also should make some analysis because in the last week we had two of the biggest matches in South Africa,” said Cardoso. “We had Orlando Pirates against Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns against Kaizer Chiefs. I remember in this [press conference] room, you [media] asked me a lot of times about the level of games in South Africa. But after these two matches, you have an answer. That’s basically the conclusion that you have to do.
“There is still a lot to do to develop the game, a lot to do. That’s basically the conclusion. Matches are always emotional, but those emotions should be channelled towards the technical and tactical side of the game. But today [Wednesday night] there was nothing like that. There were just fights from the beginning, both in the air, kicking in the front, kicking ass, kicking players, legs and everything,” he added.
MIGUEL CARDOSO SAYS RIVALS CAME INTO THE GAME WITH NOTHING TO PLAY FOR
Cardoso also accused Chiefs of lacking ambition, claiming they arrived at Loftus Versfeld with “nothing to fight for” due to their stable league position [third place and out of the title race].
He argued that while Sundowns were driven by the pressure of the title race, Chiefs settled for “tricks” and disruptive tactics—including persistent fouls and time-wasting—to stop Sundowns from playing.
“I don’t think it’s the best way to think about the future of the game here. But that’s just the first analysis. The way the match started and was managed showed there was one team under high pressure to achieve a result—because, obviously, they have something to win, and that is the championship.” Cardoso continued.
“There was another team that had nothing to fight for. Their position in the table is quite stable, regarding that their objective is almost achieved [to secure a spot in the CAF inter-club competition]. This should bring a game where the technical side says, ‘wow’. But I think no one says, ‘Wow’ about the game tonight [Wednesday], absolutely. When you arrive in the end and try to remember and see one team that tried to play and another one that tried to avoid the other one from playing, using all the strategies that could be used to stop the game, to make fouls, to grab and of course, in the end, a lot of emotions on the pitch from the beginning until the end.”
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