Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has praised chairman Tlhopie Motsepe for his support following their premature CAF Champions League exit against Wiliete SC last Friday.

Sundowns back to winning ways

Sundowns returned to winning ways with an unconvincing 1-0 victory over Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday night. However, the disappointment of their continental setback continues to hang over the Tshwane giants.

Speaking after the win, Cardoso revealed that Motsepe had offered the team words of encouragement as they looked to advance into the quarter-finals of the Carling Knockout.

“The chairman was very supportive. He spoke to the team with the right approach and with the right motivation to look forward to what we have,” Cardoso said.

“It’s too late to cry over spilt milk, but that doesn’t mean we don’t recognise the moment or what happened.”

Sundowns needed a response against Gallants after some soul-searching behind the walls in Chloorkop over the last couple of days.

Cardoso was pleased with the character his players showed to secure the victory, insisting that the team must now focus on the challenges ahead.

“As soon as we understood what needed to be done in the future, that’s when we started collecting energy,” the Portuguese coach added.

“That’s why I spoke about the proof of character to win this match and show people that we’re alive. Even though we didn’t play the way we wanted to, we needed to tell our fans that we will fight for this badge.”

‘It was important to win’

The Sundowns coach also stressed the importance of delivering an immediate response for the club’s hard-to-please supporters after their continental setback.

“It was important to win immediately after the last match that we had. It was important to show our fans commitment, show them that we need them and that they can count on us,” he concluded.

The Brazilians must now shift their focus to the Betway Premiership, where they face Durban City at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Saturday night.

With the title race gathering momentum, Cardoso’s men will be eager to build on their victory over Gallants and maintain their grip at the top of the log standings.

Sundowns sit top of the league standings with 23 points from nine matches, but there’s little separating them with second-placed Orlando Pirates. The Buccaneers are just one point behind, although they have played one game less.