Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has openly criticised the Betway Premiership fixture schedule, suggesting that it has effectively handed Orlando Pirates a clear path to their first league title in 14 years. Following his side’s disappointing 3-2 defeat to TS Galaxy on Wednesday evening, the Portuguese manager refused to blame his players, instead pointing an accusing finger at the relentless calendar. “We were not beaten by whoever, but by the calendar,” Cardoso stated, visibly frustrated by the congestion his squad has faced over the past three weeks. His comments carry the weight of a title race slipping away, with Sundowns now trailing by a significant margin as Pirates close in on the championship.
Cardoso’s grievances extend beyond mere fixture congestion, hinting that the league’s scheduling has favoured Jose Riveiro’s side at a critical juncture. The Sundowns boss urged skeptics to examine the physical toll on his players, insisting that the calendar—and not any opponent—has been their primary obstacle. While he stopped short of providing specific comparisons, the implication is clear: a more balanced schedule would have kept the title race alive. With Pirates needing just four points from their remaining matches to mathematically secure the crown, Cardoso’s complaints risk being dismissed as sour grapes, though his argument about competitive fairness carries genuine weight in a season defined by tight margins.
Orlando Pirates now stand on the verge of ending a 14-year drought, with even three points potentially enough depending on goal difference. The Buccaneers boast a +44 goal difference compared to Sundowns’ +37, meaning a heavy defeat is the only realistic threat to their title charge—and they have not lost any league match by more than a single goal all season. For Cardoso, the nightmare scenario is rapidly becoming reality, as his side’s hopes rest not on their own performances but on an unlikely collapse from the league leaders. Whether his complaints about the calendar are validated or not, the