Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is a stubborn man, but so were his predecessors Rhulani Mokoena and Pitso Moshimane.
These three musketeers’ approach to football is akin to that of a film director; things must be done exactly the way they want them to be done and anyone who doesn’t conform to their instructions won’t be fielded regardless of whether the deviant players help the team win and are visibly talented.
Sundowns has an avalanche of talented players who are national team material but they are not being fielded and in some cases they are loaned out to low-ranking teams in the lower divisions so that there won’t be a possibility of them playing against Sundowns in the PSL and inflicting pain on Patrice Motsepe’s team.
Sundowns should not be struggling at all to win knock out games like they have been struggling in this regard for years now.
The winning material is there on the bench and in the stands but they won’t be fielded because Cardoso apparently doesn’t like their playing styles and would rather bring in ordinary players from South America to come and take the positions of South African-born players at Sundowns.
As I said before, the left side of Sundowns defence is very weak and shameful, and instead of playing Aubrey Modiba or Lungu there, this film director/ soccer coach Cardoso should simply play newly-acquired Fawaaz Basadien there.
Instead of playing Tashreeq Matthews on the left wing berth, Cardoso must play the young Siyabonga Mabena who is only 18 years old but has performed like a seasoned professional in the one or two games that he has played at Sundowns.
Sundowns has lost Lucas Ribeiro and instead of replacing him with an attack-minded player, the film director/soccer coach insists on playing defence-minded Jaydeen Adams in the void left by the talented Ribeiro.
Then like a film director who spoils the plot of a film with irrelevant and unnecessary shots or information, Cardoso insists on playing Mokwena and Allende at the same time in the midfield.
Both guys are defensive-minded players and Mokwena is obviously the better of the two, so Allende must sit on the bench and have his place taken by a talented player who will give Sundowns attacking options in the midfield now that Themba Zwane is injured.
Many talented boys from SNS in Mamelodi can play better than Allende; there is nothing special about him.
Upfront Sales is skillful but his downfall is that he is not a team-player, he is selfish and doesn’t make one-two combinations with his teammates, and his shots at goal are not strong at all and however he tries to shoot at goal, his lame shots are easily dealt with by goalkeepers.
Striker Iqraam Rayners continues to score only one goal after missing five or six golden opportunities to score in every match.
At the back Grant Kekana, Aubrey Modiba, Lungu and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams must be given a permanent rest and young Jody February, who is 19 years old must start playing as a matter of urgency.
I rest my case.