Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has revealed his disappointment at his side’s inability to score more goals in their 2-0 Nedbank Cup victory over Mpheni Home Defenders on Sunday.
Sundowns sealed their ticket into the quarter-final following an eighth-minute strike through the backheel of Tashreeq Matthews and Bathusi Aubaas’s 27th minute goal.
However, Matthews was sent off just after the second half had started, forcing them to manage the game and Cardoso feels his team would have walked away with a bigger win had they not been reduced to 10 men.
Matthews’ sending off disrupted rhythm
“Obviously after you score the second goal, your expectation is that you’re going to finish the game with a better score,” said Cardoso on SuperSport TV after the match.
“And that’s what I told the lads at halftime that we were supposed to take the responsibility of scoring more goals, and it was obvious that we could have even done it in the first half.
“Anyway, we are in the second half and the fact that Tashreeq makes a mistake and gets expelled obliges us just to manage the game and that’s what we did.
“I tried as much as possible to hold the players outside that were more charged, so that we didn’t need to put too much game time on their legs, let’s say, and finish the game. That’s our objective.
What did not impress Cardoso on Sunday?
“So obviously the answer, direct and straight is I’m not happy because we should have won by more numbers, but in the end, we did the job, and I have nothing to say.”
Cardoso made several changes to his team and will be satisfied that his charges bounced back from their midweek league defeat to TS Galaxy.
Sundowns will be back in action on Wednesday when they play away to Marumo Gallants in the PSL.
