Cardoso says refs giving red cards to Mamelodi Sundowns ‘very easily’

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso thinks it has become too easy for match officials to dish out red cards to his team after goalkeeper Denis Onyango joined a long list of Brazilians players who have received marching orders this season.

Onyango received his second red card this season in the 90th minute of Sundowns' 3-1 Betway Premiership victory against Marumo Gallants at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein on Wednesday night. It was the Ugandan's seventh career dismissal for Downs in all competitions.

The keeper came out of his box and clattered into substitute Gabadinho Mhango to earn his second booking (the first was for time-wasting), though the transgression might even have warranted a straight red from referee Masixole Bambiso. Sundowns ended the game with right-back Thapelo Morena in goal as they had used their five substitutes.

Onyango's dismissal took Sundowns' number of red card recipients in 2024-2025 to nine. Tashreeq Matthews, Bathusi Aubaas (twice), Divine Lunga, Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau and Aubrey Modiba are the other Downs players who have had to take an early shower in games in various competitions.

Six of those have come after Cardoso took over from Manqoba Mngqithi in December. Downs' coach, while not directly questioning Onyango's red — though he did suggest the first yellow might have been questionable — expressed frustration that perhaps not all Downs' red cards this season have been warranted.

“They way the game finished was not the best, with the red card,” Cardoso said of Wednesday's match, which saw the champions stretching their lead to 12 points over second-placed Orlando Pirates, who have three games in hand.

“The cards are becoming too easy to be given to our players. It has nothing to do with Marumo. It has to do in general with the teams playing against Sundowns always finding the moments to stop the game to deal with moments where we are stronger and where we are close to scoring a goal.

“Today [Wednesday] again that happened but it's a way to manage the game. In those moments we saw a yellow card [Onyango's first] for wasting time. After that, in another action [fouling Mhango], he got a red.

“The red cards for Sundowns are becoming cheap, they're coming out easily.”

The coach was, however, pleased with how Sundowns dealt with the six minutes of added time with Morena in goal.

“We coped well with the situation because we had normal substitutions to do.

“Thapelo was the player we could put in goal because he has experience of that.

“In that moment [directly after Morena took the gloves] we had to deal with a free kick. Thank God the ball didn't go to goals and after that it was simply managing it because our players have that ability to keep the ball as much as possible.” 

Cardoso said Onyango's suspension should be easy to contend with because he believes Sundowns and Bafana Bafana captain and No 1 Williams will be ready to play in their next league game against TS Galaxy at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.

“The red card always affects us because you never know what will happen to the other players in the next game, but I believe Ronwen would have recovered from the problem he had tonight [Wednesday].

“Otherwise, we have Jody February and Reyaad Pieterse and for sure someone will stand up if we need a goalkeeper.” 

Pirates did not have a chance to keep the points gap from Sundowns lower as their game against Lamontville Golden Arrows in Hammardale, outside Durban was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.