Cardoso Admits Sundowns Had ‘No Excuses’ After Nedbank Cup Exit
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has taken full responsibility for his side’s defeat to TS Galaxy in the Nedbank Cup round of 16, insisting there were no excuses despite making several changes to the starting line-up.
Sundowns were stunned 2-0 at the compact Solomon Mahlangu Stadium on Saturday, where Galaxy scored both their goals in the first half. The visitors struggled to gain a foothold in the match and failed to respond to the early setback.
Cardoso looked to his bench for a turnaround, but Galaxy’s disciplined defensive display ensured Sundowns did not seriously test goalkeeper Ira Tape throughout the encounter.
The Portuguese tactician admitted his team lacked cohesion, pointing out that several players were not accustomed to playing together, particularly compared to recent matches against MC Alger and Orlando Pirates.
“The team that played here is obviously not the same team that played before,” said Cardoso.
“The emotional level of the previous two matches was different from this one, but that was not the problem.
“We came into this match committed, with a clear mission to accomplish regardless of the circumstances or the players selected. There were no excuses.
“But when you go 2-0 down in a match like this through your own mistakes, it becomes very difficult. We basically handed two goals to the opponent before they had created anything meaningful.
“That put us in a very difficult position. We knew our bench could help us, especially if we were still level at half-time and pushing for the winning goal.
“We didn’t play for a draw, but I told the players that if we maintained the right concentration and went into half-time level, we would win the match.”
Sundowns’ elimination means the Nedbank Cup will be won by a club outside of the traditional “big three” — Orlando Pirates, Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs — all of whom have now exited the competition. The trio had shared the trophy over the past four editions.
“We knew Galaxy wouldn’t be able to maintain that energy in the second half,” Cardoso added.
“But going into half-time 2-0 down made it extremely hard to come back, especially on a difficult pitch where it’s not easy to play quality football.
“From there, it was very difficult to manage the situation.”
Sundowns will now shift their focus back to the league when they face AmaZulu FC at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday.
