Sundowns cannot win every game, says coach

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso said his side cannot be expected to win every single game after they registered a fourth draw in seven games of the new season in their goalless stalemate with Kaizer Chiefs in the Betway Premiership at Soccer City on Wednesday.

Runaway champions over the last season, Sundowns are in third spot in the standings after two wins and two draws in their opening matches of the new league season – having been held by Chippa United as well earlier in the month.

They also drew their two MTN8 semifinal ties against Orlando Pirates, missing out on the final after post-match penalties in Saturday’s second leg in Atteridgeville.

A hard-fought battle ends all square. Downs secure a clean sheet and a point on the road. 🙌

Kaizer Chiefs 0️⃣➖0️⃣ Mamelodi Sundowns#Sundowns #BetwayPrem #AreyengMasandawana pic.twitter.com/7q4bWybtKZ

— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) August 27, 2025

“Everybody wants to win every match, but no team wins every match,” Cardoso said afterwards.

“And if you are really fair to the people that work at Sundowns, to the coaching staff, to the technical department, to the sports direction, you understand that the team that played the (Club) World Cup is not the same team that's playing now, because the impact of the players that are out was so big in the team that we need to rebuild,” he said in a reference to the absence of Player of the Season Lucas Ribeiro, who is trying to force his way out of his contract.

“A rebuild is being done in the moment with players that are still young, and we are happy to do it and we're going to arrive where we want to arrive, because we know which direction we are going.

“Believe me we are so committed to that work, we are so strong inside the club. And we will become stronger and victories will follow one after the other, because that’s the result (of hard work), it will happen.”

He did complain about a run of three successive away fixtures that Sundowns have, playing Magesi in Seshego last week, Chiefs on Wednesday and Stellenbosch in Cape Town on Saturday.

“But it's not easy for a team to have the schedule that we have. It's not easy. I would like to see any other team deal with the schedule that we are facing, and what results they will face. But we are strong. We are very strong,” Cardoso insisted.