Mamelodi Sundowns’ newly appointed coach Miguel Cardoso says he is unfazed by the poor track record of European coaches at the Tshwane giants, stating that he is more focused on the future than past hoodoos. 

The 52-year-old Portuguese mentor took over the hot seat at Chloorkop from Manqoba Mngqithi, whose tenure lasted five months following a series of inconsistent results on the pitch and underwhelming cup runs both domestically and continentally. 

Cardoso has become the first European coach to be in charge of Sundowns since Johan Neeskens, Hristo Stoichkov, and Henri Michel amongst others to have been shown the exit door after failing to steer the Brazilians’ ship to success. 

Now, the former Esperance de Tunis tactician says he is unaware of the failures of his European counterparts and has suggested that he is going to write his own story like he did during his stint in Tunisia. 

“I didn’t know that [European coaches have poor records at the club], but I also didn’t know that in Tunisia a foreign coach had never reached the final of the CAF Champions League and I did it. No one has ever won an 8-0 match [in the Champions League] and we did it, ” said Cardoso. 

“No one ever had as much ball possession as we had last year in the Champions League group stages as we did last year in our home game against ASEC Mimosas. “I don’t think about what happened in the past, I look forward to the future. I’m not comfortable in the zone that I am, but I like to be out of my comfort zone and express myself and take the team to the next level, ” he added. 

Cardoso, who eliminated Sundowns in the CAF Champions League semi-final last season before eventually losing the coveted title to record African champions Al Ahly, has urged everyone at the club to look past previous records as they usher into a new era. 

“We should look forward and not say stay attached to what happened in the past, we don’t know the records, we dream alone but we work to make those dreams come true together. But we are objective people who work hard to reach these dreams and objectives and go forward on them, ” he said. 

“Day-by-day we will give our best to make these things happen, also this club has high records and we understand and respect the heritage, but we want to be part of it. We want to make our history by going every day with the standard the club has and being loyal to them and to ourselves, to myself and things will happen naturally.” 

Cardoso will be in the dugout for the first time when Masandawana hosts invincible Botola Pro League champions Raja Athletic Club in matchday three of Group B in the CAF Champions League at Loftus Stadium on Sunday (15:00).