Cardoso Explains Challenging Season
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has acknowledged that his team has faced a challenging start to the season due to a short offseason caused by the FIFA Club World Cup in June.
The 2025/26 season has been particularly demanding for the Brazilians. Their schedule included two tough MTN8 semi-final matches against Orlando Pirates, a league fixture against Kaizer Chiefs, and a game against Stellenbosch—all before the first international break.
“We’ve had a very challenging season, and there’s no team in South Africa that has ever experienced what we’ve experienced as Mamelodi Sundowns at the moment,” Cardoso stated.
“That’s why I speak about how strong we are inside the club because we knew about this.”
Cardoso continued, “We played two times against Pirates and also played against Kaizer Chiefs away. After that, we also had to face Stellenbosch away, so our season this season is not fair because we also faced Magesi and Richards Bay without having time to rest.”
Strength and Unity
Despite the tough schedule, the Portuguese coach believes that the team’s strength and commitment are key to their success. The 2024/25 Betway Premiership Coach of the Season attributes this to the strong bond and shared values within the club.
“We knew about this, and that’s why I said we’re strong enough, and we don’t need people from outside because they just try to destabilize us,” he added. “But I also believe that when people make noise outside about us, they just make us stronger, and that’s the nature of Mamelodi Sundowns.”
Cardoso emphasized the importance of their internal values. “We are very strong inside the club, we’re very committed amongst each other, and we also have values that we won’t give up on. I think those values I’m talking about are keeping the team alive. As much as crises that people want to see on us, I think we will keep on going and be better.”
Sundowns currently sit in third place with 11 points after five games in the Betway Premiership. The team is set to return to action against Magesi at Lucas Moripe Stadium on 14 September.
