Mamelodi Sundowns are sending a strong message to Orlando Pirates that it is going to take a mammoth task for Bucs to wrestle the Betway Premiership away from them.
Sundowns reclaimed their place at the top of the league standings after they defeated Orbit College FC 2-0 at Loftus Stadium on Monday night.
Besides Downs’ important win, they exhibited their new signings, showing that they have added some steel to their impressive squad.
They started with 19-year-old Thato Sibiya, who provided an assist and also walked away with the man of the match accolade.
Their high-profile acquisition from Colombia, Brayan Leon, also made his debut as a second-half substitute. He announced his arrival with a well-taken winning goal from the Sibiya assist.
Pirates have two games in hand and are trailing Masandawana by a point.
With Sundowns involved in the CAF Champions League campaign this weekend, Pirates will resume their league programme when they travel to Polokwane to face Sekhukhune United on Saturday afternoon.
This means that they will unseat Sundowns from the top should they beat the tough Babina Noko.
Cardoso pleased with young players
“With Sibiya, we are happy, and it’s just a matter of trust. Young players need a chance to play well,” said Cardoso on Supersport after the match.
“Sometimes they do not appear at games because there are various factors at play when you bring young players. It’s a matter of readiness, a matter of opportunity.
“Sometimes there are difficult positions; we had Kutlwano Letlhaku, who was also quite okay. We need to understand what kind of space we give to these boys, and they need to raise their hands for these opportunities. But I am happy for them.”
He went on: “We started with many changes in the team, and we could have scored more goals and brought more tranquillity to the team.
“However, we performed well, and we are now looking ahead. We had a strong start, but as the players in the front began to hold too much of the ball, we somewhat lost our connections up front.
“We had to correct that at halftime, and we knew Lebo Mothiba could not play the entire match—and we also wanted to give Brayan a half chance as a substitute.
“We’re glad we have more solutions now, as our key players weren’t on the bench—this is what they need to know.”
“At Sundowns you will play many matches, and the boys will need to be ready for when the opportunity comes.”
