Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has raised concerns about the number of yellow cards being shown to his players, suggesting that the Brazilians are being targeted by PSL referees.
Cardoso made the comments after Sundowns’ impressive 5-2 victory over AmaZulu, despite admitting that he was unhappy with the disciplinary record his team has accumulated early in the season.
Sundowns already have 15 yellow cards
According to Cardoso, Sundowns have received 15 yellow cards in their opening five matches of the campaign.
The coach believes the disciplinary trend could become a major issue as the season progresses, particularly if suspensions begin ruling key players out of important matches.
Cardoso pointed to several examples from Sundowns’ opening fixtures.
Against AmaZulu, Sundowns received four yellow cards compared with one for their opponents. They collected three against Golden Arrows, while Arrows received one.
Against Marumo Gallants, Sundowns picked up one yellow card while Gallants received none. The Chiefs match ended with four yellow cards for each side, while the game against Polokwane City saw both teams receive two.
Cardoso compares Sundowns with Orlando Pirates
The Sundowns coach also referenced last season’s disciplinary figures to strengthen his argument.
He noted that Sundowns accumulated 53 yellow cards and four red cards last season, compared with 28 yellow cards and no red cards for eventual champions Orlando Pirates.
For Cardoso, the concern is not simply about statistics. He believes accumulated bookings can have a direct impact on a team’s ability to compete over an entire league campaign.
Players who collect enough yellow cards can be suspended at crucial moments, potentially weakening a squad during the decisive stages of the title race.
‘It’s too easy to target my players’
Cardoso believes referees need to take a closer look at how challenges involving Sundowns players are being judged.
The Portuguese coach called for greater consistency from officials and warned that repeated bookings could eventually hurt his team’s championship ambitions.
His comments are likely to generate plenty of debate among PSL supporters, particularly given Sundowns’ dominance in possession and their high-pressure style of play.
Does Cardoso have a point?
There is certainly a statistical trend worth examining, but yellow-card numbers alone do not establish that referees are deliberately targeting Sundowns players.
The bigger question is whether the bookings are justified and whether similar incidents involving other teams are being judged consistently.
With the title race expected to be tightly contested, disciplinary records could become increasingly important.
Do you agree with Miguel Cardoso that Sundowns are being targeted by PSL referees?
