Miguel Cardoso focuses on 'victory nonetheless' as Mamelodi Sundowns edge Durban City

MAMELODI Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso again avoided putting pressure on his players to think about winning by bigger margins, after their hard-fought 1-0 Betway Premiership victory at Chatsworth Stadium on Tuesday night.

While Orlando Pirates continued to turn up the heat, beating Lamontville Golden Arrows 5-0 in Orlando on Tuesday night, table-topping Sundowns did just about enough to remain at the summit, taking home three points courtesy of a 10th-minute Katlego Ntsabeleng strike.

“If you look at the statistics, we made 770 passes, had 15 shots at goal, forced zero saves from Ronwen Williams and held 77% possession. The result is slender, but it is a victory nonetheless; it is three points. It is not easy on this pitch, so credit to the boys for three points,” said Cardoso, before adding this about Ntsabeleng: “It means that everything we tell the boys is true … I’m happy for him.”

It was a 10th straight victory for Mamelodi Sundowns this year as they maintain their two-point lead over close title rivals Pirates, while Durban City lost for the first time at home in 2026. City coach Pitso Dladla said their plan worked to a certain extent on Tuesday night.

“We wanted to keep the game at 0-0 until half-time and that is why we started the way we did. I know some people will say maybe we should have started the same way as we ended, but we would not have had the legs to finish in the manner we did,” said Dladla.

“It is always the challenge you face as a technical team when you discuss games of this magnitude. We agreed that we should sit back and absorb pressure in the first half and, in the second half, we would try to have a go at them.”

“At half-time we said to the guys that we were unlucky not to have got an equaliser, so we told them: ‘Guys, now we are no longer holding back; we are engaging'.”

Despite having undergone coaching changes in recent months, the Citizens are enjoying a dream season upon their return to the top flight, with the KwaZulu-Natal side firmly in the running for a top-eight finish.

What has further elevated their spirits was progressing to the Nedbank Cup final this past weekend after their victory over Casric Stars in the first semi-final. They are set to face TS Galaxy in the final.