Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has launched a pointed critique of the league’s scheduling and venue management, claiming that Orlando Pirates have been given an unfair advantage in the title race. His frustration stems from the contrasting treatment his team received compared to Pirates when facing the same opponent, Magesi FC. Cardoso specifically highlighted that Sundowns were forced to play Magesi at the cramped Seshego Stadium, a venue he described as having a small pitch, while Pirates were handed a fixture at the much larger and more expansive Peter Mokaba Stadium. Sundowns narrowly won their match at Seshego, but Pirates cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory at the bigger venue last weekend, closing the gap at the top of the table.
Cardoso did not hold back in his post-match comments after Sundowns fell 3-2 to TS Galaxy. “We played Magesi, they took us somewhere in the country, where the pitch is small, Seshego Stadium. But when it’s Pirates, they invite them to a big venue, a nice pitch to play football,” he said. The Portuguese coach stopped short of conceding the title race, but he insisted that the league’s calendar and pitch management have tilted the playing field. “If we don’t become champions, it’s because someone else had a good season,” Cardoso added. “But also, I think the red carpet was opened in front of them, so I think it is important, to be fair, to analyse what happened in recent weeks.”
While Cardoso’s remarks may be dismissed by some as sour grapes, his complaint raises a legitimate point about competitive fairness in a tight title fight. The difference in venues arguably gave Pirates a significant advantage, allowing them to play on a pitch more suited to their style of football. Whether this is a case of bitter deflection or a genuine oversight by the league remains open for debate, but the Sundowns coach has clearly