Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has admitted the red card of Bathusi Aubaas killed his side as they suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss to the Moroccan giant Raja Club Athletic in Morocco in the CAF Champions League group stage match on Saturday. 

This was Brazilians’ first defeat under Cardoso and the first time they had conceded a goal in five matches under the Portuguese coach, who had won the previous four matches including the first round against the Moroccan giants. 

On top of Aubaas’ red card, Khuliso Mudau was also red-carded in the last minutes of the game which created a headache for the Brazilians, finishing an encounter with nine men. 

“It was a difficult match, and I think that in the first half, we had to deal with a lot of pressure that reduces the spaces to play,” Cardoso said, whose side remain second in the group with five points after four matches. 

“We didn’t find the spaces because they were not available. So, we struggled a little bit to find the spaces, but what changed the game was the way they scored the goal in the last minute of the first half. 

“Unfortunately, we were not able to score. After the red card, we balanced the team to try to do our best to win, and we had some moments but unfortunately, the result is it is now.” 

Sundowns will now visit AS Maniema next weekend on Saturday without these key players – Mudau and Aubaas. They will have to win that game at all costs, having drawn against the Congolese side in Pretoria. 

“But now we look forward to the important match when we play away against Maniema. So, we will try to recover our players as much as we can,” the former Espérance Sportive de Tunis coach added. 

“Let’s also see because we also lost players for the next match. Let’s try to see who is ready and for sure everyone ready will do it, and also see the best approach for the next match that can help us to make the qualification closer.”