Cardoso Shifts Focus To AmaZulu After Chippa Draw
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is moving past the tough draw against Chippa United, stating that his team’s full focus is now on their upcoming match against AmaZulu.
The defending champions began their season with a draw against a determined Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
After Arthur Sales put the Brazilians ahead, many expected a comfortable win, but Chippa fought back. Khayana Mfecane scored an equalizer for Chippa in the second half, resulting in Sundowns’ first opening-game draw in seven years.
Cardoso, however, has already shifted his attention to AmaZulu, who won their opening match against newly promoted Orbit College. The two teams will face each other at Loftus Stadium on Tuesday at 7:30 PM.
Cardoso commented on the quick turnaround between matches, a common challenge in the PSL: “Yeah, it is what it is. I’m more than used to that, and the team is more used to that. We know we have 72 hours to prepare ourselves for the next match,” he said.
“Obviously, a victory would have allowed us to be in a generally good ambiance and comfort zone, but that’s not where we are. We will deal with it in the right way. We will be strong for our next match, and we will fight to win it.”
The upcoming match holds a lot of history. Sundowns have not lost to AmaZulu since December 2021, when AmaZulu, then under coach Benni McCarthy, secured a victory at Kings Park Stadium.
However, AmaZulu has not beaten Sundowns away from home since January 2019, when they won 2-0 at the same venue where Tuesday’s match will be played.
Despite this, Sundowns will enter the game feeling confident, having beaten AmaZulu in their last three league matches without conceding a single goal.
