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]]>Masandawana are gearing up for the first leg of the CAF Champions League final against AS FAR. They go into the game soon after a painful 3-2 defeat to TS Galaxy in the Betway Premiership earlier this week.
That defeat handed Orlando Pirates fresh hope in the title race and increased pressure on Miguel Cardoso’s side.
However, Santos says the focus inside the Sundowns camp has now completely shifted to continental football.
“Every game is difficult, not only this one, but all the previous matches in the Champions League were difficult,” Santos said.
“We know the responsibility that we have, and I think our focus has now moved to the first leg of the Champions League final. So we cannot do anything to change what happened before.”
Despite recent setbacks, the Portuguese midfielder reminded critics that Sundowns are still leading the Betway Premiership standings.
“We are top of the log right now — that’s what we know,” he said. “The players, the coach, and the club want to win this trophy so that we can give that joy to our supporters.”
Santos also admitted that Sundowns need to urgently fix their defensive issues after conceding seven goals in their last two matches.
The midfielder expects AS FAR to present a completely different challenge compared to previous opponents.
“They are different, and we expect a very physical game,” he explained. “We experienced many different environments this season — Mali, Nigeria, Congo, Tunis, and Algiers. Every team and every environment was different.
“But we are Mamelodi Sundowns, and we have to be ready for anything that comes our way in the final,” added Santos.
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]]>The post Bernard Parker fires back at Cardoso after Sundowns shock defeat appeared first on MDNtv.
]]>This is after the Portuguese tactician blamed fatigue and fixture congestion for his side’s shock defeat in midweek.
Galaxy stunned the Betway Premiership champions-elect with a thrilling 3-2 victory.
This result dealt a major blow to Sundowns’ hopes of securing a ninth consecutive league title.
However, instead of crediting Galaxy for their tactical discipline and fighting spirit, Cardoso pointed to exhaustion and a packed schedule as the main reasons behind the defeat.
Those comments clearly did not sit well with Parker, whose game plan successfully neutralised Sundowns’ usually dominant possession-based style.
“No way. This is what football is about,” Parker responded. “You will never hear Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester City speaking like that.
Those teams play week in and week out at high intensity in the Champions League, local cups and league matches.”
The former Bafana Bafana striker insisted that managing fatigue and squad rotation is simply part of modern football, regardless of resources or squad depth.
“It’s about how you refresh your squad and still get results. Sometimes you cannot play the same way throughout the season. Sometimes you need a different plan,” he explained.
Parker also pointed out that Galaxy itself had endured a brutal run of fixtures, despite operating with a far smaller squad than Sundowns.
“In our case, we had four games in 10 days. We also played every four days with a small squad that we have.
“But we managed. We even brought in DDC players, and they did very well against Sundowns. They contained them and helped us win the match.”
Parker then suggested Cardoso’s reaction may have been very different had Sundowns walked away with the victory.
“With all due respect, if Cardoso were on the winning side, he would have said something different. He would not have mentioned the calendar.
“But this is football, and I just want to wish them all the best for the final,” he added.
Sundowns are playing the CAF Champions League final first leg match against Morocco’s AS FAR this Saturday at Loftus Stadium.
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]]>The post Cardoso explains Sundowns’ title collapse, says ‘Calendar beat us’ appeared first on MDNtv.
]]>Masandawana suffered a damaging 3-2 defeat against TS Galaxy on Tuesday evening, a result that completely changed the complexion of the title race.
The loss means Sundowns no longer control their own destiny. They must now rely on Orlando Pirates dropping points in both their remaining fixtures against Durban City FC and Orbit College FC.
Speaking after the defeat, Cardoso pointed directly at the congested football calendar as the biggest reason behind his team’s recent struggles.
“It was the calendar that beat us,” Cardoso said. The Portuguese coach highlighted Sundowns’ incredible run of 11 consecutive victories since January before fatigue finally began catching up with the squad.
“After we played Esperance, we drew twice, and we lost today,” he explained.
Despite growing frustration among supporters, Cardoso passionately defended his players and urged fans to appreciate the sacrifices made throughout the season.
“These boys have been working all season very hard,” he said.
Cardoso also reminded supporters that Sundowns remained competitive across multiple competitions, including reaching the CAF Champions League final.
The coach admitted fans are hurting but insisted the bigger picture should not be ignored.
“They can criticise the coach, it’s not a problem for me, I have big shoulders,” he added.
“But look at the big picture, and let’s make a proper analysis when we finish everything.”
With the title race now hanging by a thread, Sundowns’ hopes of retaining their crown suddenly depend on their biggest rivals slipping up at the final hurdle.
However, their focus now turns to the CAF Champions League final first leg at Loftus Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
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