Sundowns coach Cardoso says PSL and refs ‘rolled out red carpet’ for Pirates

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has accused the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and match officials of “rolling out the red carpet” for Orlando Pirates as the Brazilians are on the brink of losing out on the championship for the first time in nine years.

The eight-time successive titleholders were shocked 3-2 by TS Galaxy in Mbombela on Tuesday night, leaving Orlando Pirates as the new champions in waiting.

The Buccaneers need three points from their last two games and could wrap up their first league title since 2012 when they meet Durban City at Orlando Stadium in the second-last round on Saturday. Their final game is away against Orbit College on May 23 at a venue to be decided.

Cardoso again slammed the PSL for a fixture schedule perceived as making life tough for Downs.

“I know people say, ‘excuses, excuses’, but I invite anyone to really look at the calendar these boys [Sundowns players] have been involved in in the last 21 days. We were not beaten by whoever but by the calendar,” Cardoso said.

“After playing Esperance [in the Caf Champions League semifinal last month], we played seven matches in 21 days. This [the Galaxy game] is the fourth in a row [playing after] a fourth day.

“I don’t know if you can imagine how it is. It means not sleeping at home.”

Downs’ coach explained why he believes the league’s administration has been favouring Pirates this season.

“In the last five years, I think we’d have been champions with this points tally [68].

“So, it’s not really that we had a bad season if we don’t become champions; it’s because someone else [Pirates] had a very good season. But also I think a red carpet was opened in front of them, so it’s important to be fair and to analyse what happened in recent weeks.

“You saw Pirates’ players at pitches where we didn’t play. We played Magesi and they took us somewhere in the country, where the pitch is small; Seshego Stadium, but they invited Pirates to a big venue [Peter Mokaba Stadium, with a] nice pitch. So, this is a reality we had to face.”

Cardoso alleged even referees have been doing Pirates favours.

“I just want you to remember that in our game against Chiefs we had Jayden Adams given a yellow card for simulation that wasn’t; it was a tackle where he jumped to avoid that tackle. He was red-carded in a moment where we were going for a win as we were in total control of the match.

I don’t think we are going to train. I don’t remember training players that usually play. We don’t train, and when you don’t train, you don’t know your team. We just play and play games, and most of them are played on bad pitches

—  Miguel Cardoso

“And in the previous match we conceded a penalty and we saw Pirates get a penalty for a simulation against Magesi — it was not a penalty, it was a simulation. The judgement was very tough this season, as I said in terms of the calendar [and] management of pitches.”

Cardoso feels Sundowns should not have played Galaxy in midweek, as the Brazilians have their crucial Champions League final first leg against AS FAR of Morocco at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday. The Brazillians also had to play midweek league games ahead of the first leg of their Caf semifinal win against Espérance Tunis.

“The team we are going to play on the weekend [FAR] has already had three days of rest, and today it’s their fourth day of rest, and we are playing here.

“I don’t think we are going to train. I don’t remember training players that usually play. We don’t train, and when you don’t train, you don’t know your team. We just play and play games, and most of them are played on bad pitches.”

Sundowns completed their league schedule early to compete in the two legs of the Champions League final. The second is in Morocco on May 24.

Sowetan