Miguel Cardoso Says Orlando Pirates Now Have Superior Squad Depth To Last Season

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso believes Orlando Pirates have evolved into a far stronger outfit than the side that competed last season. His assessment comes after the teams’ third meeting of the campaign, which ended in a 1-1 draw earlier this month.

Cardoso, still relatively new to South African football, said he immediately noticed a shift in the Buccaneers’ overall balance and quality. What stood out most to him was the team’s depth across all departments, something he insists is a major upgrade.

“What they did was balance much more compared to what they had in the past,” he told the media. “Now they can change players and still keep a lot of pressure on opponents with the quality they bring from the bench.”

Pirates’ Bench Strength Shocks Sundowns Analysts

The Portuguese coach explained that he asked his analysts to compile a list of every player in the Pirates squad, and the results startled him. Many stars who were central to the Soweto giants’ success last season are now operating from the bench.

“You look at players who were key last season, the second striker [Patrick Maswanganyi], [Thalente] Mbatha, [Deano] Van Rooyen, and now they’re not playing,” Cardoso said.

“Even Rele [Relebohile Mofokeng], one of their best players last season, is not playing. That tells you how strong this team has become,” he added.

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Cardoso also highlighted that Abdeslam Ouaddou did not have his full attacking arsenal available.

Pirates were without some of their usual livewires, forcing Maswanganyi and Sipho Mbule to cover roles that didn’t trouble Sundowns as much.

Although they worked tirelessly, Cardoso said they could not exploit space the way Mofokeng or [Kamogelo] Sebelebele typically do.

Buccaneers Seen as a Dangerous, Well-Equipped Side

In Cardoso’s view, the current Pirates squad is “stacked” and capable of challenging on every front with their expanded depth and versatility.

Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates remain three points behind Sundowns at the top of the league but hold two games in hand as the title race tightens.

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