Cardoso fumes as Sundowns repeat old mistakes against Arrows

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Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso bemoaned repeated defensive errors after a 1-0 MTN8 semi-final first-leg defeat to Golden Arrows. Photo: Gallo Images

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Cardoso fumes as Sundowns repeat old mistakes against Arrows

Aug 24, 2026 – 10:41 am
By Thato Bosoga

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso was left frustrated after his side made similar mistakes to the ones that cost them against Kaizer Chiefs, as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Golden Arrows in their MTN8 semi-final first-leg at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

Sundowns drew blank on home soil and will go into the second-leg trailing, courtesy of a first-half strike from Junior Dion that settled a tight contest in Atteridgeville.

Assessing the encounter, Cardoso first bemoaned the early substitution of Abafana Bes’thende goalkeeper Edward Maova, who was stretchered off after 18 minutes and replaced by Thakasani Mbanjwa. The Portuguese coach felt the lengthy delay disrupted his side’s rhythm.

“We started the match well, trying to take responsibility up to the moment the goalkeeper had to be substituted, the team was very comfortable with the ball, trying to look for the space, very narrow, very tight, Golden Arrows closing everything,” Cardoso told journalists in the post-match press conference.

“We knew where the spaces could be created and how to pick the ball and attack them through those spaces. Those seven minutes to substitute a player obviously took a little bit the focus that we were having and that obviously should not happen.”

Cardoso then drew a direct comparison between the goal conceded against Arrows and the one they shipped in their 1-1 draw against Chiefs in the Betway Premiership just over a week ago, citing a lack of defensive balance.

“In that period we suffered two consecutive transitions, we made a mistake on both. It’s mistakes similar to the one we did (made) against Chiefs, we were unbalanced in attack, we jumped in front with numbers and we opened the space for a triangle with Dion and only the keeper in goal,” Cardoso said.

The former Esperance coach reflected on the cruel nature of football, with Arrows scoring from what he believed was their only shot on target.

“Obviously it brings a lot of instability and we could not finish the first-half with the pace and rhythm that we wanted to. But at half-time the talk was to reorganize the team and try to make them believe that the game was there. Just out of only one shot on target, it was a goal and I think that was only one shot from Golden Arrows but football is like that,” Cardoso added.