Is Mamelodi Sundowns’ Miguel Cardoso envious of quality of Orlando Pirates depth?

Orlando Pirates have been performing well in the South African domestic competitions in the ongoing season as opposed to other teams.

Bucs, under coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, successfully defended their MTN8 crown after beating Stellenbosch in the final. They have also been doing well in the Premier Soccer League where they are currently second on the table with 22 points from 10 games, three less than defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns who have played two more games.

In the Carling Knockout, the Soweto giants are in the final where they are scheduled to play Marumo Gallants. Despite their unfortunate exit from the CAF Champions League in the hands of St Eloi Lupopo, Pirates are doing the most locally.

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso believes their rivals have found the right balance and depth to deliver.

Pirates are strong as opposed to last season

“I think what they did was balance much more compared to what they had in the past and now they can change players and keep a lot of pressure on the opponents with the quality they bring from the bench,” he told the media.

I am here for one year, so I don’t know exactly but what I felt and what I hear before is that their market was able to bring quality players inside the team.

If you look, and I asked my assistant coach and analyst to make me list of all the players in the squad of course I know the squad of Orlando Pirates very well and when you see that players from last were so important this season they don’t even put the shirt on; you understand how the team is strong compared to what it was in the past.

“Because there are a lot of players that don’t put the shirt on and I start from the striker, the second one that last year was playing to Mbatha that isn’t playing, to Van Rooyen and I could state many more even Rele this season the best or the second best player last season is not playing,” he ststed.

Have Sundowns lost their ruthlessness?

“According to the availability of players I am sure that the coach he wanted to have Mofokeng on the bench, and he wanted to have Sebelebele on the bench and so if they were not on the bench, it’s because they not available,” Cardoso added.

“Also his team was not so strong [in that match], I told my players guys if we score first they will not have weapons to score to us because if we take the game to the last stages it will not happen like in the cup.

They will not have energy to threaten us and you would understand how they tried aggress us with Tito and Sipho and those players where not going on the spaces the way Mofokeng can go or Sebelebele playing as a winger.

“Coach from Pirates didn’t have the weapons to make something powerful,” he concluded.