Marcelo Allende scored the only goal of the game for the Brazilians after 83 minutes to send Downs back to the top of the league standings, ahead of Orlando Pirates on goal difference.
The Brazilians had come into the tie on the back of a hard-fought 2-1 league win over Pirates and 2-0 Nedbank Cup defeat to TS Galaxy where Cardoso rotated his squad.
Reflecting on the narrow mid-week victory, the Sundowns boss admitted that his players missed a number of chances to kill off the tie but applauded the win following a strenuous first half of their season, that also includes their progression to the quarter finals of the CAF Champions League.
"We had so many opportunities to finish this game early with 29 shots and only seven on target. There is still fatigue on the players and that was clear, they will need a bit more rest," Cardoso on IOL.
Sundowns are next in action at home against Sekhukhune United on Sunday, 1 March.
“They are doing an amazing job and we are going to face the next match with the same strictness, with the same commitment, the same quality and with the same desire and passion,” added the Brazilians' boss.
Cardoso, meanwhile, admitted that he was shocked to hear his players being booed in the warm-up to this match and called on supporters to back their team.
“Today I saw something that I had never seen and I didn’t like. I didn't like seeing the players being booed during their warm-up. The Masandawana family needs to keep together because the players work hard and they do not deserve to enter the pitch being booed," he said.
AmaZulu coach Arthur Zwane was disappointed to lose 1-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns on Tuesday night, claiming a draw in their Betway Premiership clash would have been a fair result.
Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns reclaimed top spot in the Betway Premiership with a dramatic 1-0 victory over AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday night, settled by a late Marcelo Allende strike.
AmaZulu head coach Arthur Zwane said his side are full of confidence heading into their Betway Premiership clash with title-chasing Mamelodi Sundowns on Tuesday night.
Mamelodi Sundowns return to Betway Premiership duty on Tuesday night knowing that a narrow victory against AmaZulu on Tuesday night at Moses Mabhida Stadium could be enough to send them back to the summit of South African football.
