Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has explained Khulumani Ndamane was taken off at half-time to protect him from a potential yellow card, with Mthobi Mvala making his long-expected return.
Masandawana cruised to victory thanks to three second-half goals, with Malibongwe Khoza walking away with the Man of the Match award.
When asked about his defender’s performance, Cardoso first explained the tactical switch at half-time, which saw Mvala return for the first time since 24 September 2025, before hailing his young defender.
“We decided to take Ndamane out because of the yellow card, it’s always dangerous to play teams that are waiting for transitions, on a duel we can get a second card, and then the match was 0-0,” he said on SuperSportTV.
“So we decided immediately to bring also Mthobi, I’m very happy he comes back after such a long time. I think he played very well also.
“Congratulations to Mali. We know what we have there, the Sundowns future is also in the hands of the young players. Today, he showed maturity and obviously as more experience we give the best he will become.
“And bravo for him, bravo for the team. I think it was a beautiful game defensively also.”