Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso’s post-match press conference was notably brief, lasting less than five minutes, as he struggled to contain his frustration with the refereeing standards in the PSL.

Cardoso was visibly agitated, feeling a sense of injustice stemming from the performance of referee Tshidiso Mkwanazi. However, he refrained from direct criticism to avoid potential fines from the PSL for speaking out against officials.

Sundowns had dropped points in a 1-1 draw against Golden Arrows, coached by their former manager Manqoba Mngqithi, in a Betway Premiership match at Mpumalanga Stadium on Wednesday. Despite relentless pressure, the Sundowns were unable to break down a resolute Arrows defense, which was particularly strong in the second half.

The draw leaves Sundowns at the top of the Betway Premiership table with 55 points from 21 matches, 16 points ahead of Orlando Pirates, who secured a 1-0 victory over Chippa United on the same day.

“I want to congratulate my players because they didn’t have a good first half,” Cardoso said after the game. “But they played very well in the second half, and I believe it was more than fair that we should have taken all three points.

“I think we scored more than enough goals to win the match; it was clear for everyone. We saw two teams working hard, but I also think we saw another team that was not at the level of the game.

“It’s important to understand that a match of this level should be officiated at a higher standard. Unfortunately, we saw things that I don’t even want to discuss.

“This is the second game where we have… congratulations to my players. They played a good game, a very good second half. But unfortunately, we couldn’t get the result. Let’s rest and continue to move forward as best as possible in the next matches.”

When asked if the quick turnaround after their tough fixture against Kaizer Chiefs over the weekend contributed to his team’s fatigue, Cardoso dismissed the suggestion.

“We simply want to play games as fairly as they should be, according to the rules of the game, and for everybody to follow those rules,” he said. “That’s all we want. Let us play football.”

When pressed further on whether he was referring to the referee, he replied, “No, no, I’m just speaking generally, I’m just speaking.”