Mamelodi Sundowns head coach, Miguel Cardoso, expressed his frustration after his team was held to a 1-1 draw by Golden Arrows in their recent Betway Premiership encounter.
The match proved to be a tough one for the defending champions, as they found themselves trailing to Arrows following Keenan Phillips’ goal shortly after the 30-minute mark.
Despite the setback, Sundowns fought back and leveled the score just before halftime, with Lucas Ribeiro converting a penalty after a foul inside the box.
Read: Mngqithi Reflects on Holding Sundowns
However, Cardoso was adamant that his side should have claimed all three points from the game. He pointed to a controversial moment when Peter Shalulile’s goal was disallowed for offside, a decision that left the coach particularly frustrated.
Cardoso felt that Sundowns had done enough to secure a victory and that they were unjustly denied a legitimate goal.
Although visibly upset by the outcome, the coach took a moment to acknowledge his players’ resilience and improvement in the second half. He noted that Sundowns came out with a stronger performance after the break, demonstrating character and determination in their pursuit of a winner.
“I have to congratulate my players because while we didn’t have a great first half, we delivered a very strong second half,” Cardoso told the media after the game.
“I believe that tonight, it was more than fair for us to take all three points. We created enough chances to win, and that was clear for everyone to see.”
His comments come after Manqoba Mngqithi’s first fixture in charge of Abafana Bes’thende following his departure from Sundowns in December.
Currently, Sundowns lead the Premiership with 55 points, having played 21 games. In contrast, second-placed Orlando Pirates find themselves 16 points behind and with four games in hand, making their title challenge seem increasingly difficult.
Cardoso and his Sundowns outfit will turn their attention to the Nedbank Cup quarter-final, where they will face Sekhukhune United this weekend. Kick off at the Lucas Masterpieces Stadium is set for 20h00 on Saturday, 08 March.