Cardoso Praises Heroic Mokoena After MTN8 Final Triumph Amid Personal Tragedy
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso revealed that star midfielder Teboho Mokoena played through severe physical pain and personal heartache to help lead the Brazilians to a 2-0 victory over Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Mokoena was central to the drama throughout the contest. In the 12th minute, he opened the scoring by finishing off a brilliant flick-on from Thabang Matuludi to put Sundowns ahead.
Later in the second half, Mokoena was penalized for a push on Yanela Mbuthuma inside the box, handing Pirates a golden opportunity to equalize from the penalty spot. However, Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams produced a spectacular save, diving to his left to palm away Ghampani Lungu’s spot-kick and preserve the lead.
In stoppage time, Thapelo Mokobodi brought down Siyanda Ndlovu inside the area, prompting referee Abongile Tom to award a second penalty. Iqraam Rayners stepped up and calmly beat Sipho Chaine to seal Sundowns’ first-ever MTN8 final victory over Pirates under the telecommunication.
Mokoena’s performance came under extraordinary circumstances. Having previously missed Bafana Bafana’s AFCON qualifier against Eritrea, as well as an international friendly against Egypt due to a knee issue, Mokoena took to the field while coping with the recent passing of his grandmother and a tragic incident involving his brother, who was hospitalized after a stabbing.
Addressing the media after the match, Cardoso paid tribute to the midfielder’s resilience and mental strength:
“For Teboho, it was different. He had a small discomfort on his ligament and, from his first treatment and capacity to suffer, he could play, though he was not pain-free, and he played with support in the pain,” said Cardoso.
“Obviously, we knew that he had not trained recently.
“It was clear from the start of the match that it was quite difficult to pick the pace. But there are high-profile players — he gave his best, and I think he finished the game very, very tired.
“But he gave his best to the team. I’m a very happy coach to have players of that character.”
The victory marks Sundowns’ second major trophy in quick succession, following their recent triumph over Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup at Loftus Versfeld.
Sundowns will remain in KwaZulu-Natal ahead of their mid-week fixture, as they prepare to face Richards Bay in a Betway Premiership clash at Princess Magogo Stadium on Tuesday.
