Miguel Cardoso Explains Why Mamelodi Sundowns Lost to Marumo Gallants, Reisinho’s Poor Debut

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso remained calm and philosophical after his side’s shock Carling Knockout first-round exit at the hands of Marumo Gallants, insisting there was “nothing to complain about” despite the goalless draw and eventual 7-6 penalty shootout defeat.

Sundowns dominated large spells of the match but failed to convert their chances, and the task became harder when new signing Miguel Reisinho was sent off just six minutes into his debut for a studs-up challenge. Despite playing extra time with ten men, Cardoso praised his players’ spirit and effort.

“My players fought so well through the 120 minutes,” Cardoso told SuperSport TV. “It’s easy to talk about execution and plans, but they did everything they could. We attacked, they resisted, and the game stayed level. We couldn’t score — that’s football. When it goes to penalties, it’s about details, and we came up short.”

The Portuguese tactician refused to criticise Reisinho’s red card, saying it was an unfortunate but natural part of the game.

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“These things happen in football. It’s unlucky that we had to play so long with one less player, but we controlled the game even with ten men. We created chances, we dominated possession — the only thing missing was the goal,” he said.

Cardoso concluded by reiterating that the team’s effort couldn’t be faulted:

“The story will always be about the goal we didn’t score, but I’m proud of the players’ resilience. No complaints — just lessons to take forward.”

Source: Briefly News