Miguel Cardoso Reacts To Kaizer Chiefs Victory

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso reacts to a close victory over arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the league.

The Brazilians welcomed a wounded Amakhosi side at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday at the back of an impressive run of form that saw them win three consecutive matches.

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True to form, Sundowns went on to collect their third victory over Chiefs this season thanks to a wonder strike from star attacker Lucas Ribeiro Costa in the first half.

After the match, the Sundowns coach told SABC Sport how the match was difficult, how Chiefs came into the match well prepared, and how fatigue and tiredness were also a factor.

“It was a very tough match, very tough match indeed. Due to different things,” Cardoso told SABC Sport.

“First, it was clear Chiefs made a good game, so they also made a good game. It was clear that my team was tired. We felt it from the very beginning, so there was no freshness in our players in order to play the football of fluency we usual(usually) play.

“So the decisions were more difficult to have(make), the displacement on the pitch not doing [them] with the same freshness and the same intensity and even defensively it was more difficult to press.”

He further went on to share that he told his players to capitalise on the chances they get, as the match will demand them to be well organised.

“But I told the boys that the team today should be highlighted and the organisation we should have it would be very important and it could keep us in the match, trying to look for our moments and that’s what happened.

“We used a very precised moment when there was a dispelled through our attraction of a moment on Peter [Shalulile], and then there was a moment on the space. Due to that, we scored, and after that, we believed.”

The Portuguese tactician further went on to share that he told his players at halftime to have courage and belief on each other.

“I told at halftime the players, ‘please have courage and trust, trust each other, and have courage to play this match.’

“And our job was to help them in order to change the structure. We changed the structure in the first half to cope with the defensive process to have more width, and we changed the structure again in the second twice and the good players that could refresh the team.

Cardoso also touched on the technical approach of the match and how competitive it was.

“Congratulations for(to) everybody because I think it was not a very well played match today, but a very competitive one very interesting in terms of tactical approach,” Cardoso stated.

“Very interesting for the audience we had in the stadium, congratulations to football also and to the players from both teams.

“But in the end, I think my players deserve[the win] by the strictness, by the commitment, by the organisation, and by the quality they put in the right moment to finish the game.”

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He also touched on the only goal of the match, which was scored by Ribeiro and how it was planned heading into the heavyweight clash.

“His technical action was fantastic indeed, but it comes out of a collective moment because we knew that the fullbacks of Chiefs would jump on our fullbacks.

“So if we could attract the centre back on our first striker, and then movements from Lucas or from, oh it was Peter that made that attraction on centre backs, and then diagonals at the back of the centre backs and we could find spaces.

“That’s exactly what happened in that action due to that, and of course, we need quality to make this kind of shoots, and of course, congratulations to him, and congratulations to the team.

“Hard work, very hard work, but congratulations cause they did it, but it’s most important that they proceed and pick the three points today.”

He went to close his interview on his thought on whether Orlando Pirates could close the 18 points they have over the Buccaneers.

“We have a very important game next one in Golden Arrows. We need to rest players. Today, we had several players who could not give their contributions, again next game for sure we will have them.

“We have players that are hanging by the wires as we say, but we are taking care of them, giving them rest so that they can bring or be brought in the following match.

“Let’s keep our energy, our positive thoughts, our commitment, our hard work, and there is a lot to go,” Cardoso concluded.