Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has praised Orlando Pirates’ depth after their 1-1 draw in the Betway Premiership earlier this month.
Sundowns faced Pirates for the third time this season with the tie ending in a pulsating stalemate with goals from Peter Shalulile and a stunner from Cemran Dansin.
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Cardoso explained how Pirates improved when it comes to signing players as compared to last season as well as those that were regulars last season but don’t even make the bench this season.
“I think what they did was balance much more compared to what they had in the past and now they can change players and keep a lot of pressure on the opponents with the quality they bring from the bench,” he said.
“I am here for one year, so I don’t know exactly but what I felt and what I hear before is that their market was able to bring quality players inside the team.
“If you look, and I asked my assistant coach and analyst to make me list of all the players in the squad of course I know the squad of Orlando Pirates very well and when you see that players from last were so important this season they don’t even put the shirt on you understand how the team is strong compared to what it was in the past, because there are a lot of players that don’t put the shirt on and I start from the striker, the second one that last year was playing to Mbatha that isn’t playing, to Van Rooyen and I could state many more even Rele this season the best or the second best player last season is not playing.
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“According to the availability of players I am sure that the coach he wanted to have Mofokeng on the bench, and he wanted to have Sebelebele on the bench and so if they were not on the bench, it’s because they not available.
“Also his team was not so strong [in that match], I told my players guys if we score first they will not have weapons to score to us because if we take the game to the last stages it will not happen like in the cup, they will not have energy to threaten us and you would understand how they tried aggress us with Tito and Sipho and those players where not going on the spaces the way Mofokeng can go or Sebelebele playing as a winger.
“Also, coach from Pirates didn’t have the weapons to make something powerful.”
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