Miguel Cardoso Focused on Mamelodi Sundowns’ Success, Not Orlando Pirates’ Matches

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has emphasized that his focus remains solely on his own team’s performance rather than monitoring Orlando Pirates’ fixtures. With Sundowns holding a commanding 12-point lead at the top of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) table, Cardoso is determined to secure as many victories as possible to cement their dominance.

Sundowns’ Continued PSL Dominance

Mamelodi Sundowns have been the benchmark in South African football, winning the PSL title for the past seven seasons. Their closest rivals, Orlando Pirates, have endured a lengthy title drought, despite making significant strides to challenge Masandawana’s supremacy.

In the current campaign, Sundowns have played 18 league matches, winning 16 and losing just twice. In contrast, Pirates have played three games fewer, winning 12 and losing three. With 48 points on the board, Sundowns hold a comfortable advantage over the Soweto giants, who sit on 36 points.

Cardoso’s Perspective

Despite the gap, Cardoso insists that his primary concern is ensuring his team maintains their winning momentum rather than worrying about Pirates’ progress.

“I don’t look at the schedule of Pirates, I don’t know,” Cardoso stated. “I know that they [Pirates] have some games behind, so they have to play those games at some point, but I don’t know if we can win ours until then… eventually, it can be an advantage, but if we also lose points, it will not be an advantage.

“So let’s wait and see; we got an advantage after their match [when they beat Pirates 4-1], and immediately two days after, we lost these three points to Galaxy away. So, we need to focus on our job,” he concluded.

The Bigger Picture

Cardoso’s approach reflects a mentality of maintaining control over what can be influenced rather than relying on other teams’ misfortunes. As the season progresses, Sundowns remain in pole position to extend their reign as South African champions, while Orlando Pirates will need to be near-perfect in their remaining fixtures to keep any title hopes alive.