In the face of constantly bemoaning Mamelodi Sundowns' abnormal fixture schedule, head coach Miguel Cardoso has been told to man up and embrace the challenges that come with being at the helm of the Tshwane giants.
Cardoso has not been shy to voice his displeasure regarding what he terms an 'inhumane' treatment meted out to his team, who have to play a game almost every three days as Sundowns juggle different competitions.
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In his latest comments, following a hard-fought 1-0 win over Sekhukhune United in the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals last Friday, he again pleaded with the PSL to protect his team as they defend the country in the CAF Champions League, where a well-rested Esperance lie in wait on Tuesday at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
The second leg of the quarterfinal is away from home on 8 April, with the League postponing the Tshwane giants' league match against Stellenbosch FC that was scheduled for 5 April.
"Just by looking at Coach Cardoso, you can tell he is angry, though I think some of the things he is complaining about are valid," says Manqoba Ngwenya, a former fan-favourite at The Brazilians.
"At Sundowns, we play to win every cup competition, and given Sundowns' history, there are high expectations to win the Champions League. It's never going to be easy. Playing so many games in a short period is always part of life at Sundowns.
"So, for Cardoso to complain about it every week won't help. I think he should just soldier on and manage the situation. If he wanted to play once a week, he should have joined a club like Golden Arrows. But at big teams, you compete for every cup.
"Against Sekhukhune, the fluidity of Sundowns was not the same as what we are used to," he went on.
'Shakes' says this did not surprise him as almost the entire team was changed, giving a lot of fringe players a chance to play.
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"We only began to lift the tempo in the second half. For most of the game, Renaldo Leaner stood between Sundowns and victory. It's good to see that Sundowns can push until the game is won.
"Sekhukhune wasn't really playing; they were banking on a penalty shootout. But in the end, coach Eric Tinkler's efforts were rebuffed."