Cardoso Blasts Referee After Mokoena Red Mars
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso was left fuming with match official Abongile Tom after Teboho Mokoena was sent off during their 1-1 draw with Siwelele at Dr. Molemela Stadium in the Betway Premiership match on Wednesday.
Mokoena, who had been cautioned earlier for a tussle with Teboho Potsane, tracked back to stop a counter-attack and lunged into a challenge on Siviwe Magidigidi. Although he appeared to win the ball, Tom deemed the tackle reckless and issued a second yellow card, reducing Sundowns to 10 men.
Cardoso did not hide his frustration after the match.
“It’s easy. A team that was playing to score, with the right energy and the right intent, suffered a goal from a mistake that can happen. Nothing to speak about there—maybe a little bit nervous in the first half,” Cardoso said on SuperSport TV.
“In the second half we had massive control, we scored, and then someone on the pitch today — more clever than everyone else — decided to make the game more difficult for us.
“That’s the story of the game. People will come here and make it sound simple, but there was only one team trying to score, and the other just holding on.”
The draw ensured that Orlando Pirates remained top of the Betway Premiership heading into the enforced Africa Cup of Nations break. Sundowns now trail the Soweto giants by two points, with Pirates sitting on 28 points from 12 matches, while Sundowns have 26 from 13.
Cardoso also addressed the early injury to defender Grant Kekana, who appeared to sprain his ankle and was replaced by Kegan Johannes in the early stages of the game.
“The loss of Grant Kekana has nothing to do with anything. Keegan Johannes came in and I think he had a very good game,” said Cardoso.
“He has been growing as a player. Of course, you don’t want to make a substitution in the first minute, but I don’t think that had anything to do with the outcome.
“The team kept trying to play, kept fighting until the last minute. And I think the result should have been different… but it is what it is.”
When asked directly about Mokoena’s dismissal, Cardoso remained visibly irritated but careful not to criticise the referee explicitly — knowing PSL sanctions could follow.
“I said someone was clever. I didn’t speak about the referee,” he insisted.
“It’s up to you to analyse. You have the TV. You should say what you saw, not me. I don’t know — I was there in the dugout.
“Look at the images and speak. Not me. I don’t want to be punished for saying something I’m not saying.”
