Following their goalless draw at FNB Stadium, coaches Nasreddine Nabi of Kaizer Chiefs and Miguel Cardoso of Mamelodi Sundowns addressed the media and shared their thoughts on the match.
While the stalemate saved face for both outfits, it was clear that neither coach was entirely satisfied with the outcome.
Kaizer Chiefs Coach Nasreddine Nabi
Nabi, in just his first appearance on the touch line for Kaizer Chiefs this season, expressed his frustration despite the point. The match, which saw over 75,000 fans pack the stadium, felt like a missed opportunity for his team to secure a win against their rivals.
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“I am frustrated because we believe we did enough to get three points, especially in the second half. We had opportunities that we could not convert,” Nabi said in his post-match interview with SABC.
He acknowledged the incredible support from the fans and admitted his disappointment in not being able to give them a victory. “We would have loved to give those amazing fans the three points but unfortunately, we did not,” he added.
The draw extends Kaizer Chiefs’ strong start to the season. The team remains unbeaten and has yet to concede a goal in their first four matches, a testament to their solid defense.
They now sit second on the table with 10 points, level with Sekhukhune United on points but behind on goal difference.
Mamelodi Sundowns Coach Miguel Cardoso
For Miguel Cardoso, the draw was a result of his team’s defensive fight, but it still added to a slow start to the season for the Brazilians. With eight points from their first four games, Sundowns are currently beneath Chiefs on the PSL log, a position they’re unaccustomed to.
Cardoso, who made three changes to the team that recently lost to Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 semifinals, praised his players’ resilience.
“We had a wonderful first half, the team understood how to play such games. It is not how you play but how you give yourself to the fight, and if we did not fight the way we did, it would be very difficult to get points here,” he told SABC.
Cardoso stated that while his team always aims to win, he was happy with their understanding of the game, saying, “we have to understand every moment and I was pretty happy the way the boys understood the game. As I said before, from here, we want to grow, we want to find more assistance throughout the games.”
Cardoso & Co, who are facing increasing pressure, will have a short turnaround as Sundowns travel to Cape Town to face Stellenbosch FC on Saturday, 30 August, at 15:00.
Meanwhile, the Glamour Boys will look to continue their unbeaten run when they travel to KwaZulu-Natal to face Golden Arrows at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, 30 August, at 17:30.