Sunderland beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Saturday afternoon

Sunderland defender Reinildo Mandava has issued a rallying cry to supporters following the club’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at the weekend.

The Black Cats came from behind to seal all three points against the Eagles on Saturday afternoon, with goals from Enzo Le Fée and Brian Brobbey overturning a one-goal deficit and ensuring that Regis Le Bris’ men extended their unbeaten home run to 11 Premier League matches this season.

Saturday also marked an eagerly anticipated return for Reinildo, who had been absent from club action for almost a month after representing Mozambique at the African Cup of Nations in Morocco. And speaking after the final whistle at the Stadium of Light, the veteran full-back wasted little time in expressing how glad he is to be back on Wearside.

What did Reinildo Mandava say after Sunderland win over Crystal Palace?

In an interview with Sunderland’s media team, he said: “It was a tough game. We knew it would be a hard game with a good team, with good players. We gave everything on the pitch today, like always, like every game. We play like a team, so if you’re playing like a team, everything is going very good. We suffered one goal, but we tried to give an answer. We gave a good answer, we scored two goals and we won three very important points for us, so we keep going.

“Today, we showed one more time our maturity. It’s not easy in the Premier League - you suffer one goal and then you score two goals and you win the game. With these beautiful fans, these beautiful supporters pushing for us, every second, every minute, it’s a brilliant win for them. The three points are for the supporters.”

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When asked about Sunderland’s unbeaten home record, he replied: “In our home, nobody can come here to take something, to beat us. We try to give everything every game, but here, with our fans, they give everything to us and push us in every second. Even when we are losing, they don’t stop. It’s easier when we have everyone running for the same goal. It’s brilliant. We are happy. At the Premier League, if you don’t lose in 11 games at home, it’s a big thing. We have to keep it and keep going, keep working.”

On his recent international duties, Reinildo added: “Everyone knows it is amazing to represent my country, to give everything to my country, but to be back here with my teammates, it’s unbelievable. With these three points, I’m very happy.”

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