Mamelodi Sundowns coach admitted his players made costly mistakes in the 3-1 defeat to USM Alger in the CAF Super Cup at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday.
Miguel Cardoso Admits Mamelodi Sundowns Made Mistakes
A visibly disappointed Cardoso acknowledged after the match that there were mistakes throughout the match against the Algerian giants.
The CAF Super Cup saw the winners of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League, Masandawana, collide with USM Alger, the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup winners.
“Of course there are mistakes, a lot of mistakes, big mistakes… We tried to refuse but then we could not,” Cardoso said in a post-match interview with SABC Sport.
On Bryan Leon’s Early Injury
Sundowns’ offensive plans were derailed when Cardoso was forced to make a change after Bryan Leon’s injury in the first 17 minutes of the match. Conceding early in the match also stunned the Betway Premiership giants.
Cardoso said it was not easy for him to change plans early in the game because he had prepared for Leon to lead the line. He reiterated that Leon was a key player in his tactics.
Bafana Bafana striker Iqraam Rayners replaced Leon. Rayners scored Sundowns’ consolation goal and equaliser from the spot-kick in the 25th minute. However, the Algerians punished Sundowns’ mistakes with two more goals.
It took only four minutes for Zakaria Draoui to open the scoring, Saadi Radouani then restored his side’s lead in the 37th minute, and Ahmed Khaldi extended the visitors’ lead in the 55th minute.
Their goals saw USM Alger lift the trophy in front of Masandawana fans in Pretoria, South Africa. Apart from scoring, USM Alger players had tactical discipline and kept a solid defensive structure until the final whistle.
Cardoso on the Condition of the Pitch
The Brazilians’ mentor also touched on the pitch’s condition following the heavy rain that delayed the start of the second half.
He said the pitch’s condition was not suitable for their style of football, which is one of the reasons they failed to turn the match around in the last 45 minutes.
“I think we had 45 minutes to turn (it) around, but when I saw the pitch I understood that Sundowns could not play the football they’re used to playing.”
Cardoso blamed the wet conditions for Sundowns’ failure to play their usual possession football, also known as the Shoe Shine and Piano.
“I think the boys tried, but the mistakes that we did in the moments that we should not were impossible to overcome.”
Apology To Sundowns Fans
Cardoso humbled himself and offered a sincere apology to the Sundowns supporters who anticipated another CAF Super Cup trophy in their trophy cabinet. Masandawana won the same competition in 2017.
“I’m very sorry to our fans who were here today. We wanted to give them joy, our chairman, our boss, and I feel a lot of pain today because of that.”
In a short space of time, Sundowns could not defend their CAF Champions League title following a shock exit in the preliminary stages of the competition, and have now failed to win the CAF Super Cup on their home ground.
Mamelodi Sundowns 1-3 USM Alger: Official Lineups
Mamelodi Sundowns official lineup (4-3-3): Williams; Matuludi, Khoza, Ndamane, Modiba; Mailula, Mokoena, Allende; Morena, Leon, Matthews.
USM Alger official lineup (4-4-2): Benbot; Radouani, Abada, Azzi, Mahrouz; Loucif, Boulaya, Likonza, Draoui, Khaldi, Ramdaoui.
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For a live score of any Mamelodi Sundowns or USM Alger fixture and a detailed match timeline, including scorers, cards, and substitutions, visit our live scores page.
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