Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso acknowledged the significance of his team’s commanding 4-1 victory over Orlando Pirates but urged his players to stay grounded despite the impressive result.
Cardoso highlighted that while the dominant win was a huge boost for Sundowns, especially in such a high-stakes encounter, it was essential to maintain focus and humility moving forward.
Read: Sundowns Dominate Orlando Pirates to Extend PSL Lead
He said in the Citizen: “It’s important to win, not for a statement win but most importantly, to believe in ourselves more and more. The statement will be in the end when we win the championship.
“Until then, it’s just about respect for ourselves. If you don’t put your foot on the ground. I love that expression when you say ‘hit the ground running’ but my feet are on the ground.”
The match, which saw Sundowns reaffirm their status as South Africa’s top team, was a showcase of their quality and tactical supremacy. However, Cardoso reminded his squad that the long road to achieving their goals requires consistency, discipline, and a relentless pursuit of improvement.
“I know my responsibility and will not let anyone around me not to take things seriously. I will not allow that so let’s hope we can keep them (feet on the ground) there but now it’s time to cheer up,” he added.
“We should be happy with the victory because it’s an important victory and we should celebrate when we win but, I told the players celebrate today but please sleep well and don’t lose time and go out to lose your time’ because they need to sleep and recover.”
The result saw Sundowns end the afternoon nine points clear of second-placed Bucs at the top of the standings, although having played a game more.