Mamelodi Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso praised his side’s concentration and commitment after their hard-fought 1-0 win over Golden Arrows in the Carling Knockout quarter-final at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday.
Iqraam Rayners scored the only goal of the match in the second half, sending Sundowns into the semi-finals and rewarding a controlled performance against determined opponents.
Cardoso was particularly pleased that his players maintained their structure rather than abandoning their approach as the match developed.
“What was interesting to see is that the team didn’t escape from the plan, they were focused enough to keep on playing,” Cardoso told reporters at his post-match news conference.
“I think the team was very loyal to the plan and that was very important for the coach. We were very solid and committed and I’m happy to be in the semifinal of the competition.”
The Sundowns manager also provided an update on Ronwen Williams and Teboho Mokoena, who are attempting to recover from injuries before Sunday’s CAF Super Cup final against USM Alger.
Mokoena has been absent for four successive matches, while goalkeeper Williams has missed the past three.
Cardoso said the club would not risk either player’s wellbeing in an attempt to bring them back prematurely.
“Look, we cannot risk the health of a player. Our role here is to protect the players and the health of the players,” he said.
“Let’s see how things will progress. Obviously we would like to have them ready for the biggest matches. I think that we have, obviously, in the team players who are doing well in those positions, whom we trust.”
Mokoena’s latest setback came after he returned from international duty in poor condition. Cardoso said the midfielder had been injured before rejoining Sundowns and had then suffered another problem in the same leg.
“We had a big setback with Teboho, as you understood publicly. He didn’t come in, not even close to being in good condition, when he returned from the national team; he came back injured,” he said.
“It was very important that we could play him in that final of the MTN8. But then there was an unfortunate moment when he was standing on one leg. He had contact, and of course there was a small thing there on the leg, but it’s the second time, the same leg, same thing.”
Cardoso described Williams’ situation as similar, saying the goalkeeper was not suffering from a major injury but was dealing with a continuing condition.
“Let’s see. A lot of work has been done on him. Williams is a similar process, so it’s not a big injury, it’s more a pathology. He has also been struggling, and we are doing our best to have him in proper condition,” he said.
“We need to protect these players, so I think that with a little bit of time everything will be OK.”
