Debutant Miguel Reisinho sees red as Gallants dump Sundowns on Carling Knockout scrapheap

As Mamelodi Sundowns licked their wounds following their Carling Knockout Cup exit, head coach Miguel Cardoso reflected on a tumultuous night after his side suffered a heart-wrenching defeat against Marumo Gallants on Saturday.

The first-round clash at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium was fiercely contested, with Sundowns battling not only their opponents but also the misfortune of finishing the game with 10 players.

Portuguese debutant Miguel Reisinho, brought on in the 79th minute to bolster Sundowns’ midfield, was sent off just six minutes later for a reckless challenge on Gallants’ Siyabonga Nhlapo. After the match, Cardoso addressed the incident, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of football.

“Look, those moments happen; unfortunately, we have to go so long without one player, but it’s football. What we expect is that he aligns with the team and contributes to its success. Like any other player, we have a lot of players who can help the team,” said Cardoso.

The match proved frustrating for Sundowns, who failed to find the back of the net over 120 minutes and ultimately succumbed to a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out. Despite dominating possession and creating several promising opportunities, they were unable to turn pressure into goals.

“Nothing to complain about — the boys could not score, it’s true, but it was a hard fight, a lot of capacity to be resilient in the match,” Cardoso said.

Even after going a man down, Sundowns maintained control of the contest, showing composure and creativity in open play.

“We controlled the game throughout — we had a lot of situations. Even with ten players, we found moments and ways to enter the final third. We didn’t score, that’s all,” he added.

Reflecting on the outcome, Cardoso admitted that football can be cruel, but praised his players’ spirit.

“The story of football is simple,” he said.

“That’s a team that defended throughout the entire match, just executed maybe two or three counter-attacks where they arrived in the box. My players fought so well throughout 120 minutes.”

Despite the disappointment, Sundowns will look to rebound quickly as they shift their focus to the CAF Champions League, where they will face Remo Stars after the international break.

The first leg of the second preliminary round will be played in Nigeria on 17 October, with the return leg a week later in Pretoria. The aggregate winner will progress to the prestigious group stage of Africa’s premier club competition.