“Honor The Badge”: Cardoso Demands Domestic Redemption After Cup Heartbreaks
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has emphasized that the team must improve in domestic cup competitions next season, following a rare trophyless campaign on the local front.
Sundowns failed to win any domestic silverware last season. Their cup runs ended in heartbreak: they lost to Orlando Pirates on penalties in the MTN8 semi-finals, fell to Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-finals (who went on to lose to Pirates in the final), and were knocked out in the Nedbank Cup round of 16 by TS Galaxy.
To top it off, they surrendered the league title to Pirates, who completed a domestic treble.
However, Sundowns ended the season on a high note by conquering the continent’s most prestigious club competition: the CAF Champions League. Winning Africa’s holy grail means they will add a second star to their jersey this coming season, making them the first South African club to win the Champions League twice.
Sundowns—whose opening Betway Premiership match against Marumo Gallants was postponed due to a delayed pre-season following the tragic passing of Jayden Adams—will kick off their season this coming weekend in Pretoria, facing Polokwane City in the MTN8 quarter-finals.
Cardoso stressed that Sundowns need to start on the front foot, making it clear he was unhappy with how they faded in domestic competitions last term.
“Regarding the competitions that we have ahead, we need to honour the badge we wear and play to win every match,” said Cardoso.
“Last year, unfortunately, we went out of the cups, and in both cases it was on penalties. Let’s hope this year we can finish the matches within the 90 minutes so that we don’t have to rely on moments where things can go either way.
“We have to take it match by match, and Polokwane are a tough opponent. We played them at the end of last season, but they have a new coach and new dynamics, for sure. Most importantly, we must focus on ourselves, on starting strongly and showing how strong we can be in the first match.
“It’s about having the right mentality, dealing with the challenges the match presents, and staying focused on the objectives we have in mind.
“Our objectives are very clear: we want to win every match and build momentum as the competition progresses.”
Polokwane City, now under new head coach Willy Moloto (who replaced long-serving Phuti Mohafe), began their 2026/27 campaign on a winning note by beating Richards Bay 2-1 at the Umhlathuze Sports Complex on Sunday.
Sundowns last won the Wafa Wafa Cup in 2021//22 season when they defeated Cape Town City at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
