Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has offered his thoughts following his first loss in charge of the team, as the nine-man Masandawana succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against Raja Casablanca in the CAF Champions League on Saturday night. The loss brought an end to Sundowns’ four-match winning streak under Cardoso.
Interestingly, Cardoso’s debut as Sundowns coach was also against Raja Casablanca in December, a game the Brazilians narrowly won 1-0. That victory set the tone for a successful run, with subsequent wins over Stellenbosch FC, AmaZulu FC, and Richards Bay FC in the Betway Premiership.
Reflecting on the defeat, Cardoso highlighted Raja’s high-line defensive strategy as a key factor that limited Sundowns’ ability to exploit spaces behind their backline.
“It was obviously a difficult match. In the first half, we faced a lot of pressure that reduced the spaces for us to play,” Cardoso said. “We struggled to find the openings, especially behind their defence. Their high defensive line made it challenging for us.”
Cardoso pointed to a pivotal moment late in the first half when Raja scored after Sundowns had already gone down to ten men. “What really changed the game was conceding a goal in the last minutes of the first half. Mentally and emotionally, that’s hard to cope with,” he explained. “We needed to reach half-time to reorganize, but unfortunately, we couldn’t.”
Despite the setback, Cardoso felt his team regained control in the second half, even after being reduced to nine players. However, Sundowns failed to capitalize on their limited opportunities.
“We had chances in the second half and adjusted tactically, but we couldn’t convert our moments into goals. After the red card, we rebalanced the team and gave our best to win. Unfortunately, we didn’t take advantage of the key opportunities we created,” he added.
Cardoso also expressed his focus on recovery and preparation for Sundowns’ next match, an away game against Maniema, emphasizing the importance of maintaining momentum in the CAF Champions League.
“We need to recover our players and assess who’s ready, especially since we’ll be missing three players for the next match,” he said. “We’ll adapt tactically and do our best to secure a win and move closer to qualification.”
Despite the defeat, Cardoso remains confident in his team’s ability to bounce back, with a clear focus on future challenges as they aim to progress in the competition.
