After facing Orlando Pirates for the third time this season, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is confident the Sea Robbers are stronger than last season.
Reflecting on the 1-1 draw earlier this month, Cardoso said what stood out wasn’t just the quality of football, but the depth the Buccaneers now boast across every position.
MIGUEL CARDOSO WARY OF THE BUCCANEERS
Cardoso admitted he might be new to the South African scene, but it didn’t take him long to spot the difference between this Orlando Pirates side and last season’s version.
“What they did was balance much more compared to what they had in the past,” he told the media. “Now they can change players and still keep a lot of pressure on opponents with the quality they bring from the bench.”
Also read: Kaizer Chiefs coach working as a qualified teacher at night
He told his analysts to list every player in Orlando Pirates’ squad, and what came back stunned him. Many of those who carried the Soweto giants last season have been starting from the bench.
“You look at players who were key last season, the second striker [Patrick Maswanganyi], [Thalente] Mbatha, [Deano] Van Rooyen, and now they’re not playing,” Cardoso said. “Even Rele [Relebohile Mofokeng], one of their best players last season, is not playing. That tells you how strong this team has become,” the Portuguese said.
ORLANDO PIRATES DANGEROUS WITHOUT THEIR BEST PLAYERS
The Portuguese coach didn’t shy away from pointing out that Abdeslam Ouaddou arrived without his full arsenal.
Cardoso said Orlando Pirates were missing their usual livewires, which meant Maswanganyi and Sipho Mbule had to fill gaps that didn’t quite worry Sundowns. They worked hard, he noted, but they couldn’t attack space the way a Mofokeng or [Kamogelo] Sebelebele usually tear up a backline.
In Cardoso’s words, the Buccaneers are stacked, dangerous, and built to fight on every front.
In the meantime, Orlando Pirates are three points behind Sundowns at the top of the league, but have two games in hand.
Also read: Ex-Sundowns coach leaves football to lead a church