“He Smells The Moment”: Cardoso Hails Mailula’s Heroics After Scoring Against Chiefs
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso praised the attitude and contribution of Cassius Mailula, stating that the forward “smells the moment” after another crucial goal against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday.
Mailula came off the bench to score as Sundowns secured a 1-1 Betway Premiership draw against Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The former Toronto FC striker—who left Sundowns for Canada at the end of the 2022/23 season—bravely beat Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen to the ball as Petersen came out to punch Grant Kekana’s delivery, steering his effort into an empty net.
Petersen accidentally caught Mailula in the face with his fist during the collision, but the forward undeterred wheeled away to celebrate.
It was Mailula’s second goal in three matches, having also come off the bench to net the winner against Polokwane City in the MTN8 quarterfinals last weekend.
“He is a wonderful boy who loves the club and loves the group,” Cardoso told SuperSport TV after the match.
“He is a happy guy; you give him five minutes, he goes in happy and usually brings good things back. I’m so happy for him because of that.
“He is a mature player as well. He feels the moment—it’s like an intuition regarding goals in a beautiful way—and I’m happy for him, of course.”
The result marked a third successive league draw between the two rivals, following two stalemates last season.
The point moved Sundowns to sixth place in the table with four points from two matches.
Sundowns, who missed out on the league title last season for the first time in eight years, return to action on Wednesday when they host Marumo Gallants.
