Cardoso Urges Sundowns Fans To Ignore Outside Criticism
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has urged supporters to ignore the negativity surrounding the team and back his players, insisting they should be judged on their consistency throughout the season rather than on a single match.
The Brazilians have made a strong start to the 2026/27 season despite several changes to the squad and regular rotation, recording four wins, one draw and one defeat in their opening matches across all competitions.
Their latest victory was an emphatic 5-2 win over AmaZulu at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday, a result that moved Sundowns into second place on the Betway Premiership table.
Cardoso called on the club’s supporters to remain strong and continue backing the players, arguing that criticism from outside should not distract the team from its objectives.
“So, two teams are at the top of the log. Where do you want to be? There’s no more than the top of the log,” said Cardoso.
“So, where do we want to be? More than the top of the log? No. The question is, and this is what comes into people’s heads when you speak about Sundowns: why are we not praising the show the team gave today instead of speaking about where the team should be? Why do you concede two goals? Why do you look at the negative side of Sundowns?
“The supporters of Sundowns should not buy into this talk. It’s not a narrative that we have to buy into. The team will grow consistently throughout the season. The more stability the team gets, the better it will be. The more quality players we have, the better the team will be.
“The coaches and the players are not bad or worse because of one match. They should be judged on their consistency throughout the season. That will speak for us.”
The Brazilians will now turn their attention to the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final against Golden Arrows on Sunday, having suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg.
Cardoso also called on the Sundowns faithful to remain united and continue supporting the team despite criticism from outside.
“Masandawana family, stay strong. Be strong. Deal with the critics the way we have to deal with them because we are the ones who are more critical inside. We criticise the players. The players criticise us because we discuss strongly.
“This week, we had a strong discussion regarding the positive aspects of building and how we must build to be more consistent. The team showed great character today because they wanted to give an answer to the provocations that I put on them. We need to be stronger. We need to be more committed,” Cardoso added.
“We are not perfect. We are far away from being perfect. But the support we get, the unity we have inside the club and from our people, whom we love so much, and our supporters who come to the stadiums—that is what matters.
“Virtual life doesn’t exist. Whatever is here is virtual. The people who show their faces give love to us. The players feel love on the streets. I feel love on the streets. We feel love in the stadium. We feel that passion.
“We need to control that narrative because if we are strong, we fight. What comes from outside, we already understand how it works.”
