Cardoso: The Pirates’ Schedule Doesn’t Concern Me

Miguel Cardoso, the head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, stated that he does not focus on Orlando Pirates, considering they have several matches to make up.

This comment followed Sundowns’ impressive 4-1 victory over TS Galaxy in a league encounter at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday night.

With this win, the Tshwane side has extended their lead at the top of the standings, now 12 points clear of the Buccaneers, who are currently in second place with 36 points.

Although Pirates secured a win against Cape Town City with a last-minute goal on Saturday, they have three games in hand, having played only 15 matches compared to Sundowns’ 18.

“I don’t focus on Pirates’ fixtures, so their schedule doesn’t concern me, but it’s accurate that they have games to play,” Cardoso remarked.

“I lack details about them, but if we can win all our remaining matches, it will certainly give us a significant edge as we will earn many points. We must remain focused in every game.

“It is crucial for us to concentrate on our objectives, particularly after feeling unhappy about our loss to TS Galaxy last week. We need to secure victories moving forward to increase our points tally, with many matches still to come.”

Sundowns previously defeated Pirates 4-1 a few weeks ago, further extending the distance between themselves and the Soweto Giants, thus solidifying their top position in the standings.

In that match, former Stellenbosch midfielder Jayden Adams had a stellar performance and was named Man of the Match.

Cardoso highlighted that acquiring Adams during the January transfer window was a wise move, and he has shown significant progress with each match.

“The coach’s responsibility is to find harmony among players and facilitate their integration,” the ex-Espérance Sportive de Tunis coach stated.

“We have many gifted players, and Jayden is certainly one of them. He is happy to be here, and his teammates have played a crucial role in his adaptation.”

“We aim to help him understand our style of play, and he has the potential to make a substantial impact. He is a fascinating player in terms of game sense, displaying great intelligence.”

Since joining Sundowns in January, the Bafana Bafana midfielder has scored two goals, with his debut goal coming in his first start during the Tshwane Derby against SuperSport United.