Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso admires Orlando Pirates’ squad strength after draw.
Sundowns and Pirates fought to a stalemate in an electrifying Betway Premiership encounter at Loftus Stadium on Saturday.
Despite the absence of Teboho Mokoena due to suspension, Sundowns might count themselves fortunate to walk away with a point against a Pirates side eager to secure their first league triumph away against the Brazilians since 2018.
Lebone Seema nearly doubled Pirates’ advantage in the second half with a promising chance, but Ronwen Williams made a vital save at the near post.
Pirates also missed Kamogelo Sebelebele, who found the net in their last meeting during the MTN8 semifinal in August, for undisclosed reasons.
“What they did in the transfer market makes them much more balanced compared to the past,” said Cardoso.
“Today, they can rotate players while still applying pressure on their opponents due to the quality they introduce from the bench.”
“Having only been here for a year, my understanding of the club’s progression is evolving. The quality injected into the team is tangible.”
“I tasked my assistant and head analyst with listing all players in their squad. Although I’m familiar with the Orlando Pirates roster, it’s striking to see key players from last season missing from the matchday lineup.”
“They possess talents like [Tshegofatso] Mabasa, [Thalente] Mbatha, and [Deano] van Rooyen, who haven’t been significant players. Even Rele [Mofokeng], arguably their second-best player last season, has played less often. This illustrates their impressive depth.”
“I’m not making comparisons regarding strength; those discussions are meaningless in football. Performance must be demonstrated continually. I’m certain Coach [Abdelsam] Ouaddou wished to have Mofokeng and Sebelebele available.”
“Their absence made Pirates slightly weaker. I informed my players that scoring first would limit Pirates' ability to recover. Extending the game’s duration favored us, unlike in the MTN8.”
“Their attacking thrust diminished; you could see attempts to advance through Tito [Patrick Maswanganyi] and Sipho [Mbule], but they lacked the finesse of Mofokeng or Sebelebele.”
“The Pirates coach had limited tools to enhance their threat. If he had the bench he desired, he might have created more challenges for us. My center-backs were fatigued, as evident with Keanu Cupido's struggles.”
Sundowns drew first blood with Peter Shalulile’s goal in the first half, only to see it equalized by Camren Dansin’s brilliant strike, concluding the match at 1-1.
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