Mamelodi Sundowns coach hits back at suggestions of decline

Speaking after The Brazilians’ 5-2 Betway Premiership victory over AmaZulu at Loftus Stadium on Wednesday night, the Portuguese mentor reacted angrily when asked whether Sundowns were yet at their best this season.

Cardoso pointed to their points tally as evidence that his side remains firmly on course as they prepare for what promises to be a fiercely contested title race.

"Who is in the first position in this championship? Two teams at the top of the log, what do you want to be? There's no more than the top of the log, where do you want us to be? More than top of the log?,” Cardoso said.

“The question that comes on the heads of people, when you speak about Sundowns, why are you today not praising the show that the team gave and we are speaking about where the team should be. 

“Why are you looking at the negative side of Sundowns, the supporters of Sundowns should not eat this talk. It is not the narrative that we have to buy. The team will grow consistently throughout the season as much stability the team gets, the better it will be. The more quality players we have, the better the team will be."

READ: Reason behind Milford FC’s impressive start to topflight football explained

The coach insisted that the situation was calm internally.

Cardoso also discusses what he labels unfair criticism on forward Tashreeq Matthews, who was awarded Man of the Match against AmaZulu.

"I also think that Tashreeq is too criticised, too criticised because sometimes he wants to do well. I know that in the World Cup there was a goal he could have scored, in the final against Pyramids there was a goal he could have scored,” the coach added. 

“Yes, there was but the question isn't the one that he didn't score, it's the ones that he scores after he fails because today I embraced him and told him exactly that. It's not important after you fail, it's important how you react that speaks for you, not the mistake you made. 

“Mistakes you have to avoid and obviously grow from them but how you show your character as you finish the match continuously playing the way he had to play and this is how we need to support our players."