Cardoso Stays Grounded Despite Sundowns’ Seven-Game Winning Run
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says his side remains focused on taking each game as it comes despite their impressive run of victories in the Betway Premiership this season.
The Brazilians have been in excellent form in recent weeks and became the first team this season to record seven consecutive league victories after defeating Orbit College at Olympia Park Stadium on Tuesday evening.
That victory also saw Sundowns return to the top of the league standings with 47 points after 20 matches played, further strengthening their push for another domestic title.
During this impressive run, Sundowns have demonstrated both attacking quality and defensive stability.
In their last seven matches, the team has managed to keep four clean sheets while collecting victories against Orbit twice, Sekhukhune United twice, Golden Arrows, AmaZulu, and Orlando Pirates.
Despite the impressive streak, Cardoso insists the team is not looking too far ahead and is instead concentrating on daily improvements as they prepare for upcoming challenges.
“Football is day by day and I think that we are always focusing day by day and as soon as we play a match,” Cardoso said.
“I start to count the days as soon as I see the players so that we can focus on them day by day. Obviously, today (on Tuesday) we opened a new page, so we need to focus on tomorrow so that we can arrive on Friday in the right condition.
“Everyone in the team is committed, and I think we have many players who have good performances and give confidence. Today they showed a lot, and even Fawaaz Basadien, despite us substituting him early, played well, and it was intentional to bring in a new player.”
While Sundowns eventually secured the win, the Portuguese mentor admitted his side did not perform at their usual level during the first half of the match.
Cardoso explained that the team struggled to maintain possession early in the game but responded positively after the halftime break, where they produced a stronger performance and managed to score both goals in the second half.
“That was one of the things we spoke about at halftime,” Cardoso added.
“There was a lot of mobility in the first half, but we were losing a little bit of possession.
“Obviously, things happened, and the boys tried to do what we trained, and I’m very happy that the players kept the identity of the team and put in a good performance in the second half.”
Following their strong domestic run, Sundowns will now temporarily shift their attention away from league action as they prepare for an important continental encounter in the CAF Champions League.
The Brazilians are set to host Malian side Stade Malien at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Friday night in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie, where they will aim to continue their strong form on the continental stage.
