Mamelodi Sundowns produced an impressive display to reclaim the Betway Premiership summit from Orlando Pirates.
However, their victory over Durban City came with plenty of controversy. Head coach Miguel Cardoso questioned the match officials after the final whistle.
The Portuguese tactician expressed frustration over several decisions he believed went against his team. His comments quickly shifted attention towards the officiating.
CARDOSO FIRES WARNING AT MATCH OFFICIALS
Cardoso struggled to hide his disappointment during his post-match interview with SuperSport TV.
Although Sundowns secured an important victory, the coach felt his players deserved better treatment. He also suggested that questionable decisions had overshadowed their performance.
“Today, is a day of a lot of emotions. I will make my best efforts to shut up and not speak too much. I think it’s another dark night for South Africa, but let people think whatever, there’s people that will sleep in a bed for sure,” Cardoso told SuperSport TV.
He continued by questioning decisions involving potential penalties. The coach insisted that honest people should reflect on what happened.
“Honest people that work hard, even here today you should go look at the penalties that was taken from Sundowns. I don’t want to speak too much, but whoever has conscious today should before go to sleep pray a little bit and think a little bit more together,” he added.
SUNDOWNS BRUSH ASIDE DURBAN CITY TO RECLAIM TOP SPOT
Meanwhile, Sundowns delivered the perfect response on the pitch against Eric Tinkler’s Durban City.
Thabang Matuludi emerged as one of the evening’s biggest performers. The defender struck twice to inspire the Brazilians towards victory.
Iqraam Rayners and Antonio Van Wyk also found the net. Their contributions completed a convincing performance against the Citizens.
Despite his complaints about officiating, Cardoso acknowledged his players’ efforts. He also praised Durban City for their contribution to an entertaining contest.
“Look, my team deserves everything but the same respect for Durban City today, our boys put the intensity, we profit obvious from freshness as we have a chance to change a lot of players from the previous match.
“Congratulations for both teams, obviously a big result for us, it’s obvious important to have a happy game with goals, congratulations for the fans, for this stadium, the management of this stadium, to have such quality of this pitch.
The victory carries major implications for the Premiership title race. Sundowns now occupy first place, holding a slender one-point advantage over Pirates.
Consequently, the championship battle remains wide open as the season approaches its decisive stages.
Cardoso also believes the competition could deliver another closely contested finish. He pointed towards last season’s dramatic title race when assessing the current campaign.
“Look, if the league is played like we saw today, there won’t be a lot of story, we’ll have a league like last year,” Cardoso said.
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