Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has accused the league and match officials of “rolling out the red carpet” for Orlando Pirates as the Brazilians are on the brink of losing out on the championship for the first time in nine years.
“I know people say ‘excuses, excuses’, but I invite anyone to really look at the calendar that these boys [Sundowns players] have been involved in in the last 21 days. We were not beaten by whoever but by the calendar,” Cardoso said after Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat against TS Galaxy in what was their last league game of the season. Brayan Leon scored a brace against Galaxy, but goals from Victor Letsoalo, Sedwyn George and Mpho Mvelase sealed the deal for the hosts.
“After playing Esperance [in the CAF Champions League semifinal last month], we played seven matches in 21 days. This [the Galaxy game] is the fourth in a row on a fourth day. I don’t know if you can imagine how it is. It means not sleeping at home.”
The Downs mentor explained why he reckons the league has been favouring Pirates this season. “In the last five years, I think we’d been champions with this point tally [68],” Cardoso noted.
“So, it’s not really that we had a bad season if we don’t become champions, [but] it’s because someone else [Pirates] had a very good season, but also I think that a red carpet was opened in front of them, so it’s important to be fair and to analyse what happened in recent weeks.
“You saw Pirates players at pitches where we didn’t play... we played Magesi, and they took us somewhere in the country, where the pitch is small... Seshego Stadium, but they invited Pirates to a big venue [with a] nice pitch. So, this is a reality that we had to face.”
Downs’ defeat at Galaxy left second-placed Pirates needing just three points in their last two games against Durban City and Orbit College to clinch what would be their first championship since the 2011/12 season.
Cardoso is of the view that even referees have been doing Pirates favours.
“I just want you to remember that in our game against Chiefs we had Jayden Adams given a yellow card for simulation that wasn’t... it was a tackle where he jumped to avoid that tackle. He was red-carded in a moment where we were going for a win as we were in total control of the match,” Cardoso said.
The Sundowns coach felt they shouldn’t have played Galaxy on Wednesday, as they have a crucial Champions League final first leg against FAR Rabat of Morocco at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday.
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