Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has delivered a brutally honest assessment of Kaizer Chiefs, insisting that the Amakhosi team coached by Nasreddine Nabi last season posed a far greater threat than the current side his team faced this week.
Cardoso made the remarks after Sundowns’ heated clash against Chiefs, where the Brazilians managed to maintain control of the encounter despite being reduced to 10 men for part of the contest. The Portuguese tactician praised his players’ composure and aggression, while also highlighting what he believes has changed in Chiefs’ tactical approach.
Speaking after the match, Cardoso revealed that Sundowns struggled more against Nabi’s Chiefs during previous meetings, particularly because of their dangerous transitions and counter-attacking play.
“I think last year with coach Nabi, we saw a much more dangerous Kaizer Chiefs than we saw here this year,” Cardoso said.
“Last year the two matches we played against Kaizer Chiefs, the one we played in Lucas Moripe Stadium and then the cup here at Loftus Versfeld, in transitions Nabi’s team was more difficult to cope with rather than today.”
The Sundowns mentor explained that his side managed to dominate large periods of the latest encounter, even after going down to 10 men, something he believes would have been far more difficult against the previous version of Chiefs.
“Even with 10 men we stayed there. We stayed aggressive on the pitch, we took control of the game and there was a lot of respect on us. So I’m happy because of that,” he added.
Cardoso’s comments are likely to spark debate among supporters, especially after Chiefs showed signs of improvement in recent weeks under their revamped technical setup. However, the Sundowns coach believes the Glamour Boys have lost some of the unpredictability and pace that made them dangerous on the break last season.
“But last year I think they were stronger in terms of the way they tried to counter attack us,” Cardoso concluded.
The remarks come at a critical stage of the season as Chiefs continue fighting to restore their status among the PSL elite, while Sundowns remain dominant domestically and continue setting the standard in South African football.
Chiefs supporters will now hope their side can respond positively in upcoming fixtures and prove Cardoso wrong as the race for silverware and CAF qualification intensifies.