Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso was on the receiving end after refusing to shake the hand of Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro in the wake of his team's 2-1 defeat in their latest Premier Soccer League outing before the international break.
The former Esperance coach stormed into the changing room immediately after the final whistle, an action others like former Sea Robbers custodian Moeneeb Josephs termed as ‘weak' from the Portuguese.
Cardoso, later returned and had a seemingly friendly chat with the Spaniard tactician on the pitch. It was the second league loss for Sundowns – since the 52-year-old took over, with the initial one coming against TS Galaxy.
Former Masandawana midfielder Roger Feutmba has jumped to Cardoso's defense, believing that the latter just hates to lose and that the action has nothing to do with him having questionable behavior.
‘Every coach wants to win'
The Cameroonian further recalled how losing a cup game against Kaizer Chiefs affected him; not because of the bonus, but because an opportunity to win silverware had been lost.
“In football it's always about winning. If you are angry after losing it's a sign of good fighting spirit. There is a big difference between being a sore loser and hating to lose a game. I think, just like any other coach, Cardoso hates losing. He is a fighter,” he told SNL24.
“Every coach wants to win. And it's even worse when you are at a club like Mamelodi Sundowns who give you everything in terms of playing material and incentives. It's not good to lose at all. So I think he just hates losing a game,
“I remember when I was still playing, we lost to Kaizer Chiefs in a cup game and I cried after the game. It's not about the bonus money that you won't get but you know winning a trophy adds value and losing becomes painful. So, since Cardoso is a winner – he feels bad when he loses. He will do everything to win in terms of coaching and tactics but on the field of play it is the responsibility of the players to use everything the coach had taught them and win the game. So, we have a coach who is a winner and hates losing,” he concluded.
Sundowns have 58 points on top of the table, 15 more than Bucs who have four games at hand.
