Miguel Cardoso slams FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo players for 'a lot of theatre, falling down' after Mamelodi Sundowns' CAF Champions League draw and asserts 'it gives nothing to football'

Mamelodi Sundowns dropped points in the 1-1 draw by FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo in a CAF Champions League group game on Sunday. 

The match at TP Mazembe Stadium was another difficult outing by the Brazilians in this Champions League group campaign.

Coach Miguel Cardoso felt their Congolese hosts were employing some dirty tactics to kill the game which Mandawana came from behind to force a draw.

"After they scored, more energy came for Lupopo, more energy came from the stands, the intention of pressing and trying to disrupt our game, and a lot of theatre as well, during the first half and also in the second half, together with a few moments of football," Cardoso said as per KickOff. 

"A lot of stops, a lot of players falling down here and there. We need to understand that it gives nothing to football in the future. It's not the way football should develop in a country, or in Africa in general. It's something that really needs to be fought by referees, and today it was not. 

"So every time we had a chance or a moment of energy, there was someone falling down. But okay, we had to fight against that. We knew we had to fight against that."

Sundowns have now gone winless in four straight matches in a run of two defeats and as many draws.

This winless streak has seen the Brazilians picking up just two points out of a possible 12 and dropping a massive 10 points.

Their only victory in this group campaign came when they beat Lupopo in the reverse fixture at home. 

It is a situation that does not reflect good on Cardoso as he is at risk of losing his job.

After last weekend's round of matches, the Brazilians find themselves third in their group.

They have a point less than log leaders Al Hilal and one fewer than second-placed MC Alger who they host in Tshwane on Saturday in a do-or-die encounter.

In most cases in recent seasons, Sundowns would reach the penultimate match of the group stage having already confirmed a spot in the knockouts.

But this time around they will be fighting on the last day of the group campaign, staring at the embarrassing prospect of being eliminated.