Miguel Cardoso gives his reaction to Miguel Reisinho's red card | OneFootball

An unexpected first appearance.

Miguel Cardoso gives his reaction to Miguel Reisinho's red card

What was meant to be a night of celebration swiftly turned into a debut to forget for Mamelodi Sundowns' new signing, Miguel Reisinho. In front of his home fans at the Lucas Moripe Stadium, his long-awaited introduction in the Carling Knockout clash against Marumo Gallants FC lasted a mere seven minutes before a moment of recklessness turned the tide.

With the tense Round of 16 fixture locked in a stalemate, Reisinho, who had just replaced Arthur Sales, unleashed a dangerous challenge on Siyabonga Nhlapo. The referee's response was immediate and decisive: a straight red card in the 85th minute, leaving his team to battle on with ten men.

Despite valiantly holding on through extra time to a 0-0 draw, the numerical disadvantage ultimately proved too great a burden. The "Brazilians" were subsequently eliminated from the competition in the cruelest fashion, falling 7-6 in a penalty shootout. In the aftermath, Coach Miguel Cardoso was left to dissect a evening where a dream debut turned into a nightmare, costing his team a place in the next round.

What did Cardoso say?

When asked to share his perspective, Cardoso framed the event as an inherent, if unfortunate, part of the game's fabric. "Look, those moments happen," he stated on SuperSport TV, acknowledging the challenge of playing with a numerical disadvantage for an extended period. His focus, however, remained on collective resilience and integration. "What we expect is that he aligns with the team, helps the team," he continued, placing the individual incident within the broader context of the squad. "Like any other player, we have a lot of players that can help the team... nothing to complain, it's football, it can happen."

This early exit from the Carling Knockout compounds a difficult start to the season for the Brazilians. The result marks the second major trophy that has already slipped from their grasp this campaign, following their earlier failure to secure the MTN8, painting a picture of a team in urgent need of rediscovering its winning formula.