He knew Sundowns would feature at the FIFA Club World Cup, so leaning on fatigue as an excuse simply doesn’t hold water.
Isn’t squad management one of the biggest marks of a great coach? To answer my own question, yes, it is. So why is Miguel Cardoso blaming Mamelodi Sundowns’ MTN8 semifinal exit to Orlando Pirates on mental fatigue? More importantly, what is he doing about it? He knew Sundowns would feature at the Fifa Club World Cup, so leaning on fatigue as an excuse simply doesn’t hold water.
Sundowns’ MTN8 problem
Let’s be fair, Sundowns have never truly dominated the MTN8. The Brazilians are notorious slow starters, and this is one competition that has consistently eluded them despite their stranglehold on the Betway Premiership. Since 2008, they have lifted the trophy just once, and that was in 2021 under co-coaches Manqoba Mngqithi and Rulani Mokwena.
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However, Cardoso cannot hide behind World Club Cup participation as a valid excuse. His side surrendered the lead twice in two legs against Pirates, eventually bowing out 4-1 on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw. That’s not fatigue, that’s poor game management.
The uncomfortable truth is that the Portuguese tactician is a one-goal merchant in big matches. He grows cautious after taking the lead, and it’s not the first time that his team has paid a heavy price for it. Before their World Cup adventure in the United States, Sundowns squandered another advantage in the CAF Champions League final first leg, to a Walid El Karti’s late equaliser for Pyramids FC Loftus Versfeld.
Even domestically, it was the same story during a clash against Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup semi-final, Sundowns went ahead through Teboho Mokoena. They eased off instead of going for the kill, and were punished as Chiefs clawed their way back to win the game.
When has Cardoso released the handbrake?
Yes, there are games where Cardoso has scraped through with narrow wins, and the scoreline glossed over his conservatism, but aside from last season’s 4-1 league hammering of Pirates, it’s hard to recall a big occasion where his Sundowns side went full throttle after taking the lead.
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This comes down to game management. When the same pattern repeats itself, it stops being a coincidence. Protecting a narrow lead is risky business in heavyweight football, because in this arena, a single punch can flip the entire script and that’s exactly what happened against Pirates who reached their fourth successive top eight final.
