Cardoso slams Loftus pitch after USM Alger loss
by Kickoff writer · KickOffMamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso was not happy with the pitch at Loftus Versfeld Stadium following their 3-1 loss to USM Alger in the CAF Super Cup.
The Brazilians chased another piece of silverware in particular a second Super Cup to add to the one clinched back in 2017, but were thrown early set-backs with midfielder Nuno Santos pulling up in the warm-up and replaced Cassius Mailula.
Despite the issues, the African champions still put up a fight and were able to draw level in the first half through a penalty by Iqraam Rayners after Zakaria Draoui’s opener but it was tough in the end according to the coach.
READ | Downs lose out on R8million after Super Cup humbling
“Yes, a very uncharacteristic match since the beginning, if you want to speak about what happened before the match you’ll never believe. Of course, there are a few mistakes a lot of mistakes mostly on the goals we made mistakes,” Cardoso told SABC Sport.
“I think we were strong while we tried to resist, but then we could not. Second half with the pitch it was very difficult to play, it was very difficult to overcome the difficulties altogether.
“It’s not easy to come with on the warm-up, prepare the match and suffer a loss of a player that is a key player after ten minutes you lose a striker and have to make another sub.
“You suffer a goal on a mistake, you still go for the equaliser and then immediately after you suffer a second goal. A lot of aggression, I think we had 45 minutes to turn around but when I came out I saw the pitch then I understood that Sundowns could use the football they are used to play.
“It made remember when I was lucky here playing against Sundowns, we just resisted because the pitch was exactly like this, this is not the condition to play the game for us. It’s not how we want to play and can play, I think the boys tried, but the mistakes that we did in the moment we should not were not possible to overcome.
“Very uncharacteristic, I’m very sorry for our fans, they were here today, we wanted to give them joy for our chairman, board and I feel a lot of pain today because of that. But a lot of uncharacteristic today, it’s so difficult today but really a tough one,” he added.