{"id":25803,"date":"2025-08-28T14:34:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T12:34:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=25803"},"modified":"2026-03-12T09:56:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:56:48","slug":"cardoso-questions-criticism-of-sundowns-performance-after-chiefs-draw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/cardoso-questions-criticism-of-sundowns-performance-after-chiefs-draw\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardoso Questions Criticism of Mamelodi Sundowns After Chiefs Draw"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Mamelodi Sundowns head coach, Miguel Cardoso, responded to growing criticism following their goalless draw against Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Sunday evening. The draw left Sundowns in third place with eight points from four matches. Although they remain strong contenders, the team has faced increased scrutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Kaizer Chiefs v Mamelodi Sundowns | Match in 5 | Betway Premiership\" width=\"755\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0Pzg2ZqBq4s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-the-harsh-criticism-cardoso-defends-sundowns\">&#8220;Why the Harsh Criticism?&#8221; \u2013 Cardoso Defends Sundowns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cardoso expressed frustration at the harsh judgment his team receives. Sundowns drew against both Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, but Cardoso believes they face more criticism than other teams for similar results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Why am I always expected to win every match, while others can draw without facing the same pressure?&#8221; he questioned during his post-match press conference. &#8220;We played against two of the biggest teams in South Africa. These are not easy teams to beat.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Cardoso pointed out that Sundowns had held their own against Pirates, who reached the CAF Champions League semi-finals last year. He also stressed that Sundowns controlled parts of the match against Chiefs, despite the 60,000 passionate Chiefs supporters in the stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Cardoso In Fiery Press Conference | Chiefs | Judged Different | Rebuilding\" width=\"755\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MrVvwTj5NHU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-1293033579\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sundowns-strong-start-to-the-season\">Sundowns\u2019 Strong Start to the Season<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the criticism, Sundowns&#8217; results so far cannot be called poor. They have two draws and two wins, putting them in the top half of the table. They are just three points behind leaders Sekhukhune United. Cardoso noted that their results against top teams like Chiefs were not disastrous, and Sundowns had their chances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cardoso\u2019s frustration stems from what he sees as a double standard in how his team is treated. &#8220;If we don\u2019t win, we\u2019re heavily scrutinised, yet when other teams draw, it doesn\u2019t seem to be as big of a deal,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-chiefs-tough-challenge\">Chiefs&#8217; Tough Challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Chiefs match was tough. The stadium was packed with 75,000 fans, and the home team has bolstered their squad. Although Sundowns couldn&#8217;t break through the Chiefs defence, Cardoso made it clear their performance was not poor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;It\u2019s not easy playing against Chiefs, with their fans and their reinforcements,&#8221; said Cardoso. &#8220;We also had our moments to control the game.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-646310564\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sundowns-long-term-ambitions\">Sundowns\u2019 Long-Term Ambitions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cardoso\u2019s comments suggest <a href=\"https:\/\/sundownsfc.co.za\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sundowns<\/a> have a bigger plan. The club aims to succeed in both local and continental competitions. A draw against a heavyweight like Chiefs is not ideal, but it is not a disaster for the defending champions. Sundowns remain focused on their goals of dominating South African football and competing in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Check also: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/kaizer-chiefs-outshine-sundowns-but-miss-winning-touch\/\">Chiefs vs Sundowns: Amakhosi Outshine Sundowns but Miss Winning Touch After Draw<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Miguel Cardoso&#8217;s defence of his team highlights the pressure Sundowns face as defending champions. Despite two draws, they are still a strong contender. Their next match will be crucial in showing they are still the team to beat in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>What do you think of Cardoso\u2019s comments? Should Sundowns be judged differently from other teams? Share your thoughts in the comments below!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso defends his team after their goalless draw against Kaizer Chiefs, questioning why they are judged more harshly than other teams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":25810,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso defends his team after their goalless draw against Kaizer Chiefs, questioning why they are judged more harshly than other teams.","footnotes":""},"categories":[59,56,64],"tags":[275,360,288],"class_list":{"0":"post-25803","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-soccer","8":"category-sports","9":"category-sports-news","10":"tag-kaizer-chiefs","11":"tag-mamelodi-sundowns","12":"tag-soccer"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25803"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25817,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25803\/revisions\/25817"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}