Cardoso On CKO Exit And Forgettable Reisinho Debut

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso says there’s no complaints about the performance that will be written about not scoring as they were eliminated in the first round of the Carling Knockout.

Marumo Gallants secured a 7-6 win on penalties in sudden death after taking the game to 120 minutes, goalless – while Sundowns played the entire extra time with ten-men due to a straight red just six minutes into Miguel Reisinho’s debut for the club.

The former Boavista midfielder was sent off for a studs up challenge, which Cardoso felt was part of football – and there’s not much to complain about.

“In the end my players fought so well through the 120 minutes, it’s easy to then say we executed the plan, the plan, they sustained us as much as they could, handling our attacks one after the other, that’s what we say,” Cardoso said via SuperSport TV.

“Nothing to complain about, the boys could not score, it’s true, but hard fight, a lot of capacity to be resilient in the match, playing 50 minutes with one less player and we saw Sundowns controlling the game but we could not score to get the advantage. When it’s penalties, nothing to complain, it’s a matter of details and that’s it…”

The former Boavista midfielder was sent off for a studs up challenge, which Cardoso felt was part of football – and there’s not much to complain about.

“We tried to manage the moments, the team controlled the game throughout – we had a lot of situations, even with 10 players we found moments and ways to enter [the final third], we totally controlled the game, we didn’t score that’s all,” he said.

“Then the story gets written about the goal we didn’t score… look those moments [red card] happens, it’s unfortunate that we had to play so long without one player – but it’s football, what we expect that he aligns with the team and helps the team his best.

“Like any other players, we have many who can help the team – help it in different moments – and nothing to complain about the boy, it’s football – it can happen.”