Cardoso Not Taking Nedbank Cup Minnows For Granted
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says they won’t underestimate their Nedbank Cup round of 32 opponents Sibanye Golden Stars ahead of their clash at Loftus Stadium on Saturday (18:00).
The Brazilians head into the fixture as clear favorites on paper and while they have a good reputation against lower division sides in this competition, the Nedbank Cup has seen top-flight clubs become victims of giant slaying in the first round.
However, the Free State SAFA regional ABC Motsepe League side will have to dig deep if they are to pull an unlikely upset. Golden Stars is made up of part-time footballers, who are employed in the local mines.
While the less fancied third-tier side is unknown to many people in the country, the Tshwane giants have done their homework on the type of football and team to expect in the capital city, with a last-16 spot at stake.
“My staff was already working on the opponents during the last few days, it’s an opponent that we went to see their last game live. We didn’t have much more information before, but now we are more than aware of which kind of team we are going to play,” said Cardoso.
The Portuguese mentor cautioned his charges to approach the encounter with a positive attitude and mindset, urging them to respect the opponents as they don’t want to be surprised like other Betway Premiership teams in recent seasons.
“It’s a match that we need to play with big respect like all the matches that we play, considering our opponents and not thinking about where they come from but what they want from the match because if we focus on where they come from then maybe we already made a mistake in our approach to the game,” the Downs mentor added.
“So, we need to approach the game in a very serious way, that’s the only way you can win the tricky matches that cups usually bring. We don’t want to be surprised; we need to be very serious, and I’ll be serious in the way I prepare our players to play the game.
Cardoso went on to outline Sundowns’ intentions in this year’s Cup of Dreams after the club lost to Orlando Pirates in the final last campaign. The former Esperance de Tunis tactician says they want to be crowned Nedbank Cup champions this term.
“This is not only respect to our opponents, but it’s respect to ourselves, respect for the competition because it’s a very important competition that we want to reach the last stage and play to win,” he stated.
The Chloorkop-based outfit last won the Nedbank Cup in the 2021/22 campaign following a 2-1 victory over Marumo Gallants after extra time. This was under the joint guidance of Rulani Mokwena, Manqoba Mngqithi, and Steve Komphela.
