Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso regrets not making a tough call - 'I should have actually changed three or four players for sure'

Mamelodi Sundowns suffered a shock 1-0 loss against TS Galaxy on Tuesday night at the Mbombela Stadium.

It was not anticipated by the majority of the Masandawana fans that they would drop points so soon after a 4-1 win over title rivals Orlando Pirates on Saturday.

It was just the club's second defeat this season after the early season blip against Polokwane City in October 2024.

After the game, the former Esperance tactician conceded fatigue played a role in Masandawana's defeat - after back-to-back competitive games in less than a week.

Cardoso further believes he should have made a decision to rest some of his key players for the Rockets fixture to avoid the struggles witnessed.

The Portuguese coach - whose team is still at the summit of the table with 42 points after 16 games - has further lauded Galaxy for their exemplary performance.

"I don't think so [changes affect the rhythm]; At the end of the game, I saw I should have actually changed three or four players for sure, that's my [regret], but you know when you speak at the end, it's so easy to speak," he said in a post-match interview.

"Our thought was to bring players who finished with the excellent energy the last one. We wanted the players to have the responsibility, that consistency and the drive.

"The players made the first half that was not easy, many times a line of six, the wingbacks following our fullbacks, making it an offensive line of six, quite difficult to overcome.

"That's why so many draws [of TS Galaxy], it's not easy to win against this team because of the way they organize themselves defensively. But it's always easy to speak at the end of the game," Cardoso concluded.

Cardoso will have an opportunity to test some of his fringe players on Sunday in the Nedbank Cup Round of 16 against Mpheni Home Defenders.

The tactician hopes to help the Brazilians win the league and the Nedbank Cup this season, as well as the Caf Champions League.

Furthermore, it will be interesting to see how the team performs in the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup, which starts in June.