Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has dismissed the notion that playing skipper Themba Zwane in Wednesday morning's Fifa Club World Cup opener against Ulsan of South Korea meant he was caving in amid pressure from the supporters.
“Themba, there’s no ghosts from the past at all, or on me, the pressures from inside the club, with the board, with my players, you have pressure when you settle in a career of coaching like me,” Cardoso said.
“No it’s not [that he played Zwane because of the pressure from outside], I made [the decision] consciously, without any kind of force because I have such respect for my players that they know I don’t joke with them, we play fair, we trust and we have a lot of values in our locker room that go beyond the question that was raised in the press.”
Zwane was in the starting XI and skippered Sundowns as they outwitted Ulsan 1-0, courtesy of Iqraam Rayners' 36th minute goal at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida in the early hours on Wednesday to get their Club World Cup campaign off to a flier. The win meant Sundowns top Group F after Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense played a goalless draw in the first group match on Tuesday. Rayners won the man of the match accolade.
No it’s not [that he played Zwane because of the pressure from outside], I made [the decision] consciously, without any kind of force because I have such respect for my players that they know I don’t joke with them
— Miguel Cardoso, Mamelodi Sundowns coach
“What happens is that Themba made a helluva two weeks of preparation so that is the respect we need to have. People spoke a lot about that [why he didn't play the Champions League final]...it seems people didn’t understand he comes from a process of growth [after a long-term injury], since the moment he could enter the team and train,'' the Sundowns coach reasoned.
“It’s important to give him [Zwane] the right opportunities so he can perform, and today was the right opportunity for him to play, so I had no problems putting him in, even having the risk to let people think I’m putting in because of pressure.”
Cardoso came under fire when he froze Zwane in the two-legged CAF Champions League final against Pyramids of Egypt a few weeks ago as the Tshwane giants couldn't clinch what would have been their second continental championship.
Sundowns' next game at this ongoing Club World Cup in the USA is against Germany giants Dortmund at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday (6pm SA time).
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