‘Unacceptable’: Cardoso rages at Sundowns’ costly blunders in cup exit

Mamelodi Sundowns’ quest for Nedbank Cup glory came to a grinding halt on Saturday as head coach Miguel Cardoso watched his side succumb to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of TS Galaxy.

The Rockets struck twice in a frantic first half at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium, taking full advantage of a heavily rotated Masandawana side that featured 10 changes from the team that defeated Orlando Pirates earlier in the week.

Reflecting on the early exit, Cardoso was blunt about the factors that led to the Brazilians’ demise. For the Portuguese tactician, the result boiled down to two cardinal sins in cup football: missed opportunities and defensive lapses.

“The game is clear to be analysed,” Cardoso stated. “When you don’t convert the chances you had, and you let yourself make mistakes in order to be down 2-0 in a match played in difficult conditions, it is difficult to cope with.”

A Costly Lack of Focus By Sundowns

Despite controlling large periods of the game, Sundowns were undone by what Cardoso described as a “lack of concentration.” The 10 changes to the starting XI seemed to disrupt the usual defensive synergy, leaving the door open for Sead Ramovic’s men to pounce.

“What remains in my head is the way we suffered the goals,” Cardoso added. “We let ourselves go down in a match like this; it is absolutely difficult to cope with. We can complain about the goals we didn’t score, but the mistakes put us in a situation that was difficult to recover from.”

Pivot to the Big Prizes

With the Nedbank Cup now off the table, the pressure shifts entirely to Sundowns’ remaining objectives. The club remains a powerhouse in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals and sits firmly in the hunt for the Betway Premiership title.

Currently second on the log with 35 points—just three behind leaders Orlando Pirates with a game in hand—Sundowns must find their focus quickly. They travel to Moses Mabhida Stadium to face AmaZulu FC this Tuesday, February 24, where any further “lack of concentration” could prove fatal to their title defence.