Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates contribute to Mamelodi Sundowns troubles as title-winning coach reveals 'no one is happy' at Masandawana

Mamelodi Sundowns have won the Premier Soccer League eight times in a row, displaying top-level football that has been unmatched by other teams. 

This season, they are seemingly far from their best when compared with the recent campaigns, where the first third has been a walk in the park for them. 

In the 12 games played, Masandawana have managed just seven wins, which is far from their best, four draws, and a loss in the process.  

However, they still have the best attack, which has so far scored the most goals in the league, 19, and conceded six, which gives them the best goal difference so far, 13.

The results have given them 25 points, but they could be more with the quality of the team.

Orlando Pirates have finished second in the last three seasons in a row, with the quality in the team and depth coming back to haunt them when the volume of matches increases.  

To solve that problem, the Sea Robbers made wholesale changes in the most recent transfer window, bringing in proven quality to bolster the squad and letting fringe players leave.

It has given coach Abdeslam Ouaddou the pleasure of rotating his squad as he pleases, and still Bucs deliver regardless of the opponent they are facing.

They have collected 22 points from 10 matches in the league, winning six of their last seven league matches after a poor start that saw them lose two straight matches. The only draw so far came against Sundowns.

Kaizer Chiefs are determined to challenge the top two after finishing outside the top eight in the last two years.

Pirates have beaten them by goal difference, but Amakhosi have played 11 PSL matches, winning six, drawing four, and losing once.

The Soweto giants are piling pressure on Masandawana, hoping to prevent them from another PSL glory.

Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso, who won the Premier Soccer League crown with Masandawana last season, has opened up about the mood in the team. The former Esperance coach insists the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States a couple of months ago also affected their preparations for the new campaign.

“Of course, I’m not happy with the points we have at the moment, but that is something that comes from the beginning of the season,” he told the media.  
“Unfortunately, we lost points in matches that we should have won, but I also understood that from the beginning of the season about our conditions.

"I don’t want to come up with this topic because people will start saying the coach always comes up with excuses," Cardoso added.
“Our start of the season was not as normal as it should have been; we went to the Club World Cup, and we didn’t have time to prepare as we should. 

“Let’s go over that, but of course I’m not happy, and no one is happy at Mamelodi Sundowns, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t understand what’s happening.  
“What we are working on strongly is to put everything on the right path. We knew that the league was going to be tough; I spoke about that already. 

"Competition has gotten better and harder. It comes from last season, but what we want is to shape our character in a way that we are so strong that no one can break and destroy our attitude," the Portuguese tactician concluded. 

The Buccaneers were eliminated from the CAF Champions League by St Eloi Lupopo, but Sundowns are in the group stage.

Amakhosi have also made the CAF Confederation Cup group stage. 

Both the Brazilians and the Glamour Boys are likely face pressure to perform well in the CAF inter-club competition, as Bucs concentrate on domestic competitions that require less travel.  

This might work in their favour, especially in the Premier Soccer League.