“You Dance To The Rhythm”: Cardoso Explains His Selection Philosophy At Sundowns

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has explained his approach to team selection, saying players must accept that the demands of each game ultimately determine who starts.

The Portuguese mentor saw his Sundowns continued their impressive start to the Betway Premiership season with a convincing 3-0 victory over Siwelele on Wednesday.

Cardoso has become known for regularly changing his starting XI since the beginning of the season, with the coach sometimes making five or more changes from one match to the next.

The rotation has also extended to the goalkeeping department, with Ronwen Williams rested for one match while Ricardo Goss was given an opportunity to start.

The constant changes have raised questions about Cardoso’s selection approach, but the coach insists his decisions are based on what each match requires rather than favouritism towards certain players.

“So basically, you know, there’s an expression that I like a lot: you dance to the rhythm of the music,” he said.

“So we, as coaches, also have to give solutions to the team according to what we feel is happening on the pitch.

“I don’t look at the face of the player and choose, ‘Ah, go, you now, because I like you.’ No, no, no. They all… They say that Tashreeq Matthews is my son, but no, all of them are my sons. All of them, absolutely the same.

“And you know that the love of a father is absolutely equal for all his sons, as much as they are different. And that’s how I see my players.

“But the most important thing is always what the game is asking for, what we can put inside that allows us to become better.”

Cardoso also reflected on what it is like to coach a big club such as Sundowns, having been in charge since December 2024.

“There are coaches that make careers only at big clubs, clubs that only fight to win,” he added.

“And those usually stay longer and longer. There are coaches that, to arrive at the top of football, like arriving at Sundowns, have to fight a lot at clubs where they don’t fight to win.

“If you go on the stats and see how many times in the last 10 years each of the teams in the PSL changed coaches, I’m sure that Pirates, Sundowns and Chiefs will have more stability than the lower teams.

“Because of that. Because you cannot win so much, but still people expect you to win.

“When you come into plans that align with the capacity of the coaching staff and the resources they have on hand, things become easier. And also the mentality of the people that manage the club. Because they know that losing one day doesn’t mean you cannot win consistently.

“And that’s the stability that creates an environment where people believe that we are all in the right place, at the right time, and able to continue to move forward.”

Sundowns will now turn their attention to their next league match against Chippa United at Buffalo City Stadium on Saturday.

With Cardoso continuing to rotate his squad and regularly change his starting XI, another different line-up could be expected when the Brazilians take on Chippa.

The coach has made it clear that every player is treated equally, but ultimately, the demands of each game will determine who gets the opportunity to start.