Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso slammed 'I don’t know why he is crying' as pressure mounts over Masandawana inconsistency

Mamelodi Sundowns' season has turned in a way that many did not expect, given that they had a chance to win multiple trophies but have been eliminated from some.

The Brazilians failed to win the MTN8, the Carling Knockout, and the Nedbank Cup while facing a threat in the Premier Soccer League title race.

Their campaign in the CAF Champions League was also below par, and they only grabbed a ticket to the quarter-finals in the last group match.

All these are a testament to the fact that Masandawana have struggled, and their head coach, Miguel Cardoso, has found himself under the spotlight.

Former Sundowns midfielder Lebohang Mokoena has claimed that Cardoso should not be complaining, given the kind of players at his disposal.

Mokoena believes Cardoso has enough arsenal to deliver positive results, and he wonders why the former Esperance tactician complains.

“I think (Brayan) Leon has put some weight on strikers to wake up. (Iqraam) Rayners has not been sharp lately, but Cardoso is trying to bring him in. A fit Rayners can cause problems for other teams,” Mokoena told FARPost.

“So, Cardoso should never complain about strikers. He has Peter (Shalulile) there and (Arthur) Sales, and he also has (Lebo) Mothiba. I don’t know why he is crying.

According to Mokoena, Cardoso just needs to get the right combination to have his team tick.

“Even coach Farouk [Khan] mentioned that he would like to see them playing together. Leon,  Rayners, and Sales – this could be a deadly striking partnership. But it depends on the system being used. I don’t see the coach starting them together at the same time," he added.

"Among those strikers, there are experienced international players, including Bafana star Rayners. They also have Champions League experience.

“Cardoso just needs to sharpen a combination between them. Just look at how Sundowns finish games with so many opportunities. They get 10 good chances and score just one. They should score four or five in one match like they used to do.”

Although Cardoso has been targeted as Downs fail to stamp their authority, Sundowns' chairman, Thlopie Motsepe, said they have no reason to sack him, given what is at stake as the season progresses.

“Out of respect, I must also just correct the statement,” Motsepe said to iDiski Times when asked about the statement of making changes before drops in performance," Motsepe said.

“What I said was we want to improve the football; we said we have a goal of achieving the [CAF] Champions League and being successful in those competitions.

“I don’t think we said if things dip, we would fire the coach, so I just wanted to clarify that. But, with that being said, the performance of the team this season – you have to look at it, I suppose, in context," he added.

“Look at it from an entire perspective – where are we in terms of our position in the league right now? Were we in that position last year? We were first; we’re still first."