{
  "id": 7096725,
  "title": "Sundowns’ Cardoso slams ‘horrible’ pitch after Chippa draw",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/sundowns-cardoso-slams-horrible-pitch-after-chippa-draw",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-13T11:10:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/sport/soccer/local-soccer/sundowns-cardoso-slams-horrible-pitch-chippa-draw/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mamelodi Sundowns' head coach Miguel Cardoso expressed his dissatisfaction with the state of the Buffalo City Stadium pitch following his team's 1-1 draw against Chippa United on Saturday. The match was relocated from the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha to Buffalo City due to poor pitch conditions. Sergio Kammies scored for Chippa in the 78th minute, but Antonio Van Wyk equalised for Sundowns in stoppage time. Cardoso criticized the muddy field, stating it made passing difficult and likening the conditions to a situation where fans are invited home without proper food. He emphasized that the pitch was far from ideal for football, warning that the distance between teams like South Africa and Morocco would increase if such poor conditions continue. Cardoso acknowledged his team's commitment and their ultimate reward, securing 20 points this season. He noted that Bafana Bafana's new head coach, Pitso Mosimane, faces a significant challenge in improving conditions for South Africa's national team if they continue playing on subpar pitches.",
  "summary": "'There is a hell of a job for Pitso Mosimane (Bafana's new head coach) to do in the future,' said the Sundowns head coach.",
  "key_points": [
    "Mamelodi Sundowns coach Cardoso criticizes Buffalo City Stadium pitch as \"horrible\".",
    "Pitch conditions forced match relocation from Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.",
    "Poor field makes passing difficult, threatens team distance between South Africa and Morocco."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}