Bernard Parker was not interested in Mamelodi Sundowns’ excuses after TS Galaxy’s shock 3-2 win – a result that has left Orlando Pirates one win away from their first title since 2012.
After TS Galaxy stunned Mamelodi Sundowns at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday night, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso pointed to a congested fixture calendar as a key factor in the defeat. Parker, who secured Galaxy’s top-flight survival with the win, had a clear and direct response.
ALSO: 10 of South Africa’s highest-paid footballers overseas
“No way. This is what football is about,” Parker said. “You don’t hear Real Madrid, Barcelona and Man City talk such because they play week in, week out at high intensity in the Champions League, their local cups and their local leagues. It’s just about how you refresh your squad and how you get the result.”
Parker also pointed out that Galaxy had their own scheduling challenges heading into the fixture.
“You can also not play the same way that you want to play the whole year through. Sometimes you have to plan as well. In our case, we had four games in ten days. So we were also on a back-to-back schedule with a small squad. But we managed.”
The Galaxy coach added that necessity forced him into bold selection decisions that ultimately proved decisive.
“We had to bring in some DDC players, and they completely contained Sundowns and helped us win the match.”
ALSO: TLB’s Chicago Fire salary confirmed
Parker did not mince his words when addressing Cardoso’s comments directly.
“With all respect, if Mr Cardoso was on the winning side, he would have been saying something different. He wouldn’t have mentioned the calendar. But this is football, and I just want to wish them all the best for the final.”
The result leaves Sundowns on 68 points – their final league fixture completed. Orlando Pirates, three points behind with two games remaining, need just one win to claim their first Betway Premiership title in 14 years and end Sundowns’ remarkable run of eight consecutive championships.
Photo: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images
