Miguel Cardoso slams Chiefs for ‘tricks’ and ‘kicking ass’

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has launched a scathing attack on Kaizer Chiefs’ approach following a bruising 1-1 draw at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday night, claiming only one side had the “intention to win.”

The result sees Masandawana drop two crucial points in their quest to defend the Betway Premiership title. While they moved three points clear of Orlando Pirates at the summit, the Buccaneers remain the favourites in many eyes as they hold a game in hand and a superior goal difference.

With Pirates on 62 points after 27 games and Sundowns on 65 after 28, the race is officially going down to the wire. A Pirates victory over Magesi FC this Saturday would see the Soweto giants leapfrog Sundowns into top spot with only two games remaining.

The encounter was far from a tactical chess match; instead, it descended into what Cardoso described as “war.” The intensity of the tackles left the medical teams working overtime, with both Mduduzi Shabalala and Keanu Cupido forced off on stretchers and taken to the hospital.

Sundowns’ night went from bad to worse when Jayden Adams was shown a red card, leaving the Brazilians to fight out the remainder of the battle with 10 men.

Miguel Cardoso: Why I Was Left Unimpressed by Kaizer Chiefs Draw

Speaking after the match, a visibly unimpressed Cardoso questioned the standard of the spectacle, suggesting that the emotions of the “Big Three” clashes are not being channelled correctly.

“I think you should make some analysis because, in the last week, we had two of the biggest matches in South Africa: Pirates against Chiefs and Sundowns against Chiefs,” Cardoso told the media. “You asked me many times about the level of games in South Africa. After these two matches, you have your answer.

“There is still a lot to do to develop the game. Matches are always emotional, but those emotions should be channelled towards the technical and tactical side. Today, there was nothing like that. There were just fights—kicking players, legs, and everything.”

Cardoso: Chiefs Came With Nothing to Fight For

The Portuguese tactician didn’t hold back in his assessment of Amakhosi’s tactics, accusing them of using disruptive “tricks” because they had no skin in the title game. Chiefs currently sit in a stable third place, largely safe in their objective to secure CAF inter-club competition football.

“The way the match was managed showed one team under high pressure to achieve a result because there is a championship to win,” Cardoso argued. “There was another team that had nothing to fight for; their position is stable. This should bring a game where the technical side says, ‘wow.’

“But I think no one says ‘wow’ about the game tonight. You see one team that tried to play and another that tried to avoid the other from playing, using every strategy to stop the game, to foul, and to grab. I don’t think it’s the best way to think about the future of the game here.”