We lost due to fatigue – Cardoso bemoans Downs' 'impossible' schedule

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has chalked up Tuesday's 1-0 shock defeat to TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium to fatigue, also admitting the way Galaxy set up their defensive schemes made life difficult for the Brazilians.

Kamogelo Sebelele's 44th-minute strike was enough to hand log leaders, Sundowns, only their second league defeat of their season. Sundowns' first league defeat of the season came in October when they lost 1-0 away to Polokwane City.

“We must understand that it's impossible to have a schedule like this and play a fourth match in 72 hours [it was their fourth game in nine days with their previous game being the 4-1 thumping of Orlando Pirates in Tshwane on Saturday],” Cardoso said.

“I tried to change the team in the second half to give energy but I felt the team was completely off in terms of proper energy in the second half. Neurologically fatigue was on the limit.

“A lot of their players defended aggressively and strongly... we couldn't overcome that defensive system and due to them we ended with this negative result. That's why Galaxy draw many games [seven, more than any other team in the league], it's not easy to win against them because of the way they organise themselves defensively.”

Sundowns next face Limpopo ABC Motsepe League outfit Mpheni Home Defenders in the Nedbank Cup last 16 at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday (3pm). Cardoso stressed the importance of proper recovery and forgetting about the Galaxy defeat.

“There's only one thing to do... is to get up, look forward, rest and recover. We were not the best in the world in our last match [against Pirates] and we're of course not the opposite of that now,'' the Sundowns mentor said.

“Now it's really important to recover the players both physically and emotionally after this setback... will come back even stronger, that's for sure.”

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