Miguel Cardoso defends Reisinho after new signing was sent off and Mamelodi Sundowns eliminated from Carling Knockout Cup

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has defended Masandawana's player Miguel Reisinho, who was red-carded on his debut.

Reisinho was shown a red card as Downs battled Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout Cup, as the Tshwane giants were later eliminated on Saturday.

The Brazilians had to face their rivals numerically disadvantaged for more than forty minutes, when the Portuguese received a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Siyabonga Nhlapo.

“Look, those moments happen; it's unfortunate we have to go so long without one player, but it's football, and what we expect is that he lines up with the team and helps the team," Cardoso told SuperSport TV.

"Like any other player, we have a lot of players that can help the team, and they will help in different moments, and there’s nothing to complain about; it’s football, it can happen,” Cardoso added.

“We played 50 minutes with one less player, and we saw Sundowns controlling the game, and that's the story of the game."

Apart from defending his new signing, Cardoso also said that Downs tried hard but were unlucky not to score.

“The story of football is simple: that’s a team that defended throughout the game and just executed maybe two or three counter-attacks where they arrived in the box, and in the end, my players, they fought so well throughout 120 minutes,” the tactician added.

“And it’s very easy to then say, ‘We executed a plan, executed a plan.’ No, they sustained us as much as they could. They handled our attacks one after the other, and that’s what they did, what you saw – nothing to complain about. The boys could not score; it's true," he added.

"The goals we could not score to give us the advantage and, obviously, the penalties – when you reach the penalties, there’s nothing to complain about; it’s a matter of details, that’s it.

“We tried to manage the moments. I think the team controlled the game from the very beginning until the end. We had a lot of situations; even with ten players, we found moments and ways to enter the game, and we totally controlled the game. We didn’t score; that’s the only question, and then the story of the game becomes written about the goal you didn’t score. That’s the story of football."

The Carling Knockout Cup elimination piled more pressure on Cardoso as Downs' struggles persist. This is the second domestic competition that the Tshwane giants failed to win after they were eliminated by Orlando Pirates at the semi-final in the MTN8 Cup.

Although they top the Premier Soccer League standings, their general performance is far from impressive. Opponents seem not to fear them anymore, and the league-defending champions are far from what they were associated with before: a phenomenal force that swept rivals aside with ease.

Next for the PSL heavyweights is a CAF Champions League qualification match against Remo Stars of Nigeria on October 18.

Sekhukhune United, who have been quite impressive and are second on the log, await Sundowns for a league game on October 21.