Matuludi reflects on heroics ahead of a testing week for Sundowns

'It wasn't easy to score the two goals, but I think I was in the right space at the right time,' he said. Mamelodi Sundowns defender Thabang Matuludi has reflected on his heroics in the 4-1 win over Durban City in a Betway Premiership clash at Royal Bafokeng Stadium last Saturday. Matuludi steals the show The right-back stole the show at Royal Bafokeng Stadium, scoring twice to help Sundowns secure an emphatic victory and earn himself the man of the match award. The brace also marked Matuludi’s first goals since completing his move from Polokwane City to the Tshwane giants recently. Speaking to the Sundowns media team, the defender reflected on his goals, admitting that his positioning was crucial. “It wasn’t easy to score the two goals, but I think I was in the right space at the right time,” he said. “The two deliveries were perfect. From Marcelo Allende’s corner and the cross by Aubrey Modiba, I think their deliveries were perfect for me to score.” The victory also saw Sundowns reclaim top spot in the premiership standings from Orlando Pirates, although they have played a game more than their title rivals. Matuludi acknowledged the importance of collecting maximum points as they look to maintain their position at the summit of the log. “It means a lot, we need these three points more than anything so that we can maintain our position on the log by being number one,” Matuludi reasoned. Attention now shifts to cup football, with Sundowns preparing for Tuesday night’s Carling Knockout quarter-final encounter against Golden Arrows at Loftus Versfeld. After that, the Brazilians will then turn their focus to the CAF Super Cup showdown against USM Alger five days later, with coach Miguel Cardoso eager to see his side respond positively after their disappointment in the CAF Champions League. ‘The only thing we can do is to be as strong as we can’ The Portuguese coach acknowledged the importance of the two upcoming fixtures, insisting that his team remains determined to compete for silverware on all fronts. “We have the Carling Knockout and at the weekend we have the Super Cup. We had a big setback as you know in our season,” Cardoso said. “It was an important moment that we should have accomplished that we did not. We need to deal with that responsibility and the only thing we can do is to be as strong as we can. “That’s the only thing I can promise to Sundowns supporters is that we will push to fight for everything. We don’t promise anything but (hard) work, determination and a lot of commitment.”