Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso says he needed to support Malibongwe Khoza who was making his first start since recovering from injury.
Khoza, 21, has become an ever-present figure in the Sundowns defender, making his 40th appearance for the club since his promotion from the DStv Diski Challenge squad.
He was part of the Bafana Bafana squad for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) but after an impressive start to the season, he suffered an injury that kept him out for several weeks before the Africa Cup of Nations enforced break.
Known as a technically gifted centre-back with a wide passing range, Khoza was pickpocketed just before half-time for Mpho Moake’s goal to stun the home supporters as they went into the break 1-1, just four minutes after Peter Shalulile’s opener.
“Everybody saw he made a mistake that led to a goal, but it’s a moment for the coach to stand with the boy, he’s a player we trust for the future and one that was important in certain moments, he didn’t play one minute this season, so it was time to support him,” Cardoso said.
“Respobsility in a match, demands for him in the training sessions, is trying to make him better, so it’s a moment to support him, rather than [take him off], I did the Tsiki, I did the same with Aubaas – we support and trust each other, a mistake does not speak for you.
“What speaks for you is the attitude you put in after – okay it’s true I felt a bit of insecurity but we support each other in this family.”
Sundowns went on to win 2-1 with Thapelo Morena scoring the second and Cardoso said it was just a case of giving them confidence at the break.
“Just give confidence to the boys, I think the game could have had a simple story in terms of goals, especially after the first 20 minutes we created many situations and we had to score, sometimes football can be tricky and out of nothing from a mistake of our own we can suffer a goal,” Cardoso said.
“But what’s important is not to relate to mistakes, there was an important attitude, trying to get a result, which could have been much bigger, but in the end, mission accomplished, a lot of things in the head of the boys – match, Champions League, match before and Champions League, so important to get a result and progress, objective accomplished.”