Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has been around long enough not to get too excited about having a nine point lead at the top, because he is well aware of the fact that title chasers Orlando Pirates will not throw in the towel.
Sundowns registered another emphatic victory over Pirates at Loftus, making it clear to the Buccaneers that they are not ready to let go of their status as champions of South African football.
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The 4-1 victory over Pirates extended Sundowns' lead at the top of the standings to nine points, with 15 matches to play.
"We made a wonderful number of points in the first half of the championship, but there's the second half to play. I told you before to say the championship is far from being finished. Very far away. But now, each match we play, we can close it more and more and more. But there is a lot to go, so we just got a small advantage that we should respect. And to respect that advantage is to give our best. That's what I spoke to the players about in the locker room. We celebrate, but there's no time to do parties. The responsibility becomes bigger because when you win, you get responsibility," Cardoso told media after the match at Loftus.
The next few months will be challenging for Pirates, with CAF Champions League football and the Nedbank Cup to navigate. The Buccaneers did not sign any players during the January transfer window, so the squad will be tested, especially with injuries and suspensions knocking on the door.
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This, however, does not matter to Cardoso. He still believes the Buccaneers will make the title race interesting because they won't give up.
"Regarding Pirates, big respect. He (Jose) is doing well. He makes a wonderful job. The team is strong. They will give us problems in the league for sure because they will not give up. The difference is small (and there's) a lot of matches still to play. We have to play away, we have to play Kaizer Chiefs, we have to play Stellenbosch, big set of matches. We have ambitious people, so let's hope we can continue to make the right way."
