Cardoso Carries Mkhulise After Late Heroics Sink TS Galaxy
Sphelele Mkhulise went from substitute to match winner in a matter of minutes, scoring twice late in the game as Mamelodi Sundowns fought back for a dramatic 3-2 Betway Premiership victory over TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday night.
The midfielder’s late intervention rescued three points for the champions in their opening league fixture and earned him high praise from head coach Miguel Cardoso, who believes Mkhulise deserved to be named Man of the Match.
For Cardoso, however, Mkhulise’s contribution went beyond the two goals.
“I think he deserves to be Man of the Match today, sorry for all the work Victor Letsoalo did. But I think today the Man of the Match will very deservedly be Pitso Mkhulise by what he means for the club and for us,” Cardoso told SuperSport.
Mkhulise’s impact was immediate after coming off the bench, providing Sundowns with the energy and attacking threat they needed as the match entered its decisive stages.
Cardoso described the midfielder as a player of exceptional character who can handle the intensity of difficult matches while still delivering when his team needs him.
“He is a player with fantastic character because he is able to sometimes sustain the aggression. But we know that we have a brother, a friend, somebody that has quality and when we bring him, we know what to expect,” he said.
Cardoso Carries Mkhulise In Front of Sundowns Fans
The emotional scenes continued after the final whistle.
Cardoso lifted Mkhulise onto his shoulders and carried him towards the Sundowns supporters, allowing the midfielder to receive their applause after his match-winning performance.
For the Portuguese coach, the gesture was a reflection of what Mkhulise had done for the team.
“Today, he gave us the luck we needed, the energy that we needed and the goals. I put him on my shoulder,” Cardoso said.
“I took him in front of the fans because he deserves to be carried by me because he also carried us to get the result we needed.”
The moment captured the relief and celebration surrounding Sundowns after what had threatened to become a frustrating opening league outing.
Cardoso Unhappy With Sundowns’ Set-Piece Defending
Despite celebrating the comeback, Cardoso was far from satisfied with another aspect of Sundowns’ performance.
The coach raised concerns about his team’s defending from set-pieces after Galaxy found the net from another dead-ball situation.
The problem is becoming a worrying pattern for the Tshwane giants. Sundowns had already conceded twice from set-pieces in their previous match against Polokwane City.
Cardoso believes the issue must be addressed before it becomes a persistent weakness.
“It’s crazy, crazy how you can be targeted three times in two matches when you played 50 last year and had the same number of goals suffered,” he said.
The coach stressed that confidence is crucial when defending set-pieces and urged his players to show greater belief when dealing with dangerous deliveries.
“We have to go back on that and instil confidence because it’s always a matter of confidence. You cannot be on a set-piece without confidence. If it happens, you have to be confident enough to deal with it and that’s it,” Cardoso said.
Sundowns Take the Points, But Warning Signs Remain
The victory gives Sundowns an ideal start to their league campaign, but the manner of the win also highlighted areas Cardoso will want to address.
Mkhulise’s late heroics ensured that the defending champions left Mbombela Stadium with maximum points, while the recurring problems from set-pieces provided a reminder that there is still work to be done.
For now, though, the focus will be on Mkhulise.
The midfielder entered the match as a substitute and left it as the player who had carried Sundowns over the line, both figuratively and, in Cardoso’s case, literally.
