Mamelodi Sundowns seek to restore belief against Richards Bay after costly draw

Mamelodi Sundowns are keen to create joy among the team’s personnel and fanbase with a victory over Richards Bay this weekend, after missing out on reclaiming their top spot in the Betway Premiership on Wednesday.

Sundowns drew 1-1 with Stellenbosch at Loftus Versfeld during the week, resulting in them remaining second on the log with 57 points, one behind leaders Orlando Pirates, who have played one game more. Sundowns still hold the advantage in the title chase, but the reality check against Stellies – in which they led in the first half through Ketlego Ntsabeleng, only to settle for a draw courtesy of Tshegofatso Mabasa’s late penalty – proved that games in hand are not points secured.

That blemish left huge frustration in the team and among the fans, as they also saw their 10-game winning streak in the league come to an end, shortly after celebrating qualification for the CAF Champions League final, where they’ll face AS FAR over two legs.

Cardoso knows they don’t have time to sulk, urging his team to bounce back to winning ways against the Natal Rich Boyz at Umhlathuze Sports Complex and restore belief in winning a record-extending ninth title in a row.

“Pain is when you don’t win,” Cardoso stated after the draw with Stellies.

“We now have to go for the next one and create joy from a victory. It won’t be easy, but we have to do it in Richards Bay. That’s it. Until then, there’ll be a lot of silence because of not having won. We want to win every game.

“We need to deal with that responsibility and take it head-on. There’s still a lot to play for, so we need to focus on the next match. We can’t do anything about this one – we need to learn what we must learn – a story that we are already familiar with.”

Given their dominance and success over the years, Sundowns still firmly remain the team to beat for the title – they’ve got talented and experienced depth at their disposal, unlike Pirates, who are navigating uncharted territory after 14 years.

Cardoso expects his team to reset and adapt to the demands of crunch time, which requires bravery and desire more than fear of the unknown.

“When you play football, you cannot be thinking about what can go wrong,” Cardoso said.

“Anything can go wrong anywhere. You need to go to the match and express yourself. This team has a lot of maturity to deal with that.

“From the beginning of the season, we’ve played responsible matches, starting from the CAF Champions League group stage qualifiers. You can’t be at this stage or in a club like this if you can’t handle such responsibilities.

“We are able to deal with pressure. That’s what is important – not forgetting that we have to play with pressure and responsibility. But we need to be aggressive from the start, so that we allow ourselves to respond to unforeseen circumstances due to luck or mistakes.”

While Sundowns might have all the depth at their disposal, Cardoso argues that they carry the biggest burden in domestic football, given their heavy schedule, which includes continental commitments. That’s why they are doing their best.

“We also have challenges that no other team has,” Cardoso stated. “People sometimes speak about ‘having depth in the squad and a lot of players’. So, people sometimes confuse the squad with the starting side.

“People like to make flowers from leaves that they don’t even understand themselves. They think they remember, but they don’t. The challenges are big, and the team has to work according to them.”

By the time Sundowns face a plucky Richards Bay side, Pirates would either have extended their lead at the top or remained stagnant, as they face arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto derby earlier in the day. Still, Sundowns can’t focus on the unknown – they must create their own joy and let the other fixtures take care of themselves.