'I hope Teboho can come back on the football pitch very quickly,' Cardoso said.
Teboho Mokoena of Mamelodi Sundowns injured during the MTN8, Quarter Final match against Polokwane City at Lucas Moripe Stadium on August 08, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has renewed his call for VAR to be introduced in the Betway Premiership, insisting the technology could help protect players from dangerous challenges.
Sundowns take on Amakhosi
Cardoso’s comments come ahead of Sundowns’ highly-anticipated clash against Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Brazilians head into the encounter on the back of a hard-fought 3-2 victory over TS Galaxy on Tuesday, but they could be without one of their key players.
Teboho Mokoena missed the midweek victory after suffering a suspected injury following a rough challenge during Sundowns’ MTN8 quarter-final against Polokwane City last Saturday.
With Chiefs expected to provide another physical test, Cardoso is hoping the Bafana Bafana midfielder will recover in time.
“I hope Teboho can come back on the football pitch very quickly. I hope South Africa doesn’t lose players,” Cardoso said.
The Portuguese coach’s concerns come amid growing frustration over the standard of officiating in the PSL, with Orlando Pirates also losing Sihle Nduli following a horrendous tackle against AmaZulu.
Cardoso believes VAR could give referees greater assistance when dealing with potentially dangerous challenges that go unpunished while clubs lose key players to injuries.
Cardoso – ‘The referees are not helped if they don’t have VAR’
“The referees are not helped if they don’t have VAR. When I saw the tackle (on Mokoena) in the match, I said to the fourth referee that it’s a red card,” Cardoso revealed.
“And he said that ‘if I had the VAR then I would be able to immediately correct the action’. It’s a tough job for us coaches, players and referees when you don’t have the capacity of having an instrument that can be so powerful and so helpful that you can use.”
The last meeting between Chiefs and Sundowns in the league was also a physical affair, with both sides losing key players in Mduduzi Shabalala and Keanu Cupido respectively.
Cardoso feels the incidents underline the need for greater protection of players, particularly after Mokoena’s latest injury setback.
“I think it’s important that South Africa understands that we have to protect our players,” he concluded.
“We cannot come from the world cup and make Teboho the national hero, and then when he plays his first match on South African soil, we allow such aggressive action on him without even being penalised.”
Chiefs and Sundowns couldn’t be separated last season after both their two league matches ended in draws.
