Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso highlighted managing the players as the important factor in the Tshwane Derby success over SuperSport United on Wednesday night.
Sundowns maintained a sixth-point lead at the top of the Betway Premiership table as a brace from Tashreeq Matthews and first goal for the club for Jayden Adams secured a 3-0 victory over United.
Cardoso also indicated the need to manage the players and doesn't want to lose them on the back of the heavy schedule that's been confronting them.
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"Today was important to play a secure match, trying to get the emotional advantage from scoring first of course and also asked the guys at halftime to enter to make a fifth goal to make some player rotations because it's important to manage the effort of the players," Cardoso told SuperSport TV.
"I don't want to lose players; we are in a very tight schedule and difficulties to manage it. So, we played the game we had to play. There were moments we had to control it mostly and without even accelerating too much just trying to protect ourselves from the efforts we don't need to do because we need to work like that.
"We understood that they made several tactical changes in the first half in order to try and complicate our task and we answered according to that. I think it was a beautiful game in that aspect in terms of tactical approach from both coaches and trying to give answer to what was happening inside the pitch.
"Basically, it's our job to help our players to give them tools. Halftime was very important to make some to put the guys on the mindset to finish the game and we managed to get it done," he added.