Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso admitted to being dissatisfied with his team’s ball circulation despite securing a late victory over AmaZulu in the Betway Premiership at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday.

Sundowns played the majority of the second half with ten men after goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was sent off for handling the ball outside the penalty area.

Despite this setback, they persevered and ultimately found the winning goal through Iqraam Rayners’ header in stoppage time, following a perfectly executed free-kick by Teboho Mokoena.

This victory marks Cardoso’s third consecutive 1-0 win since taking over from Manqoba Mngqithi, having previously defeated Raja Casablanca and Stellenbosch FC.

“It was a tough match,” Cardoso acknowledged after the game. “I was not happy with the rhythm we had in the first half. Our ball circulation was too slow.”

“We needed to improve our tempo and that’s why we made three substitutions at halftime to inject more energy into the game.”

“We created several scoring opportunities throughout the match. I knew we had players capable of making a significant impact. The introduction of Letlhaku Kutlwano, Peter Shalulile, and Thapelo Morena certainly added a spark to our performance. It was a high-intensity game, and we ultimately prevailed in the final moments.”

The victory propelled Sundowns to 27 points after 10 matches at the top, establishing a three-point lead over Orlando Pirates, who convincingly defeated Marumo Gallants 8-1 at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday.

Pic courtesy of Inja Ka Moya