Exhaustion concerns for Downs winger

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Tashreeq Matthews has had the most appearances since Miguel Cardoso took over at Mamelodi Sundowns.

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Exhaustion concerns for Downs winger

Aug 20, 2026 – 01:21 pm
By Lovemore Moyo

Tashreeq Matthews’ presence on the pitch at Mamelodi Sundowns has shown signals of affecting his input having played non-stop for 16 months.

Matthews has now played 68 games in a row for Sundowns since he came on as a substitute against Kaizer Chiefs on April 13, 2025.

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Tashreeq Matthews has established himself as one of the most durable players in South African football, having amazingly avoided both injuries and suspensions throughout an extraordinary run that has seen him accumulate almost 4 500 minutes on his legs.

Last season alone, the lanky winger featured in all 50 matches played by the Tshwane giants, starting 38 and coming on from the bench in 12 — a remarkable feat of consistency that underlines his importance to Mamelodi Sundowns.

Into the four-game-old 2026/27 campaign, Matthews has started all four matches for The Brazilians, maintaining his status as the go-to player for head coach Miguel Cardoso. Since the Portuguese tactician took over in December 2024, Matthews has played in 91% of the matches Cardoso has overseen.

The eight matches that Matthews has missed under Cardoso all came in the first four months of the coach’s tenure — since then, he has been virtually ever-present.

However, there is growing evidence suggesting that the relentless workload has taken a toll on the winger, as Cardoso admitted after substituting him after an hour in Sundowns’ 2-0 win over Marumo Gallants on Wednesday.

“Tashreeq, I think he is in a moment that he is feeling tired. Clearly, he needs to pick some air,” Cardoso said.

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Adding to the concern is a subtle but noticeable dip in Matthews’ discipline. The winger has already picked up two yellow cards in just four games this season — a stark contrast to last term, where he received only three cautions across 50 matches.

Whether that is a symptom of fatigue or simply the intensity of a new campaign remains to be seen, but Cardoso will be aware that managing his iron man’s minutes carefully could be key to getting the best out of him over the course of a long and demanding season.

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