Tso: Cardoso Must Also Be Fired
Former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Benedict “Tso” Vilakazi has sparked controversy with scathing remarks about the sporting director of Mamelodi Sundowns, Fleming Berg.
Vilakazi’s comments come after the Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso failed to win the CAF Champions League earlier this month as he joined the Brazilians in December 2024.
“You’re wrong, sporting director, Fleming Berg, and you need to go alongside your man (coach Miguel Cardoso), ” Vilakazi said on his platform, Tso’s Football Wisdom.
“You wait and get Cardoso, and prepare a work permit for him while coach Manqoba Mngqithi was still a coach. The time announced, his work permit was already approved. So, he went straight to the field of play.”
Vilakazi questioned the circumstances surrounding Cardoso’s appointment, particularly the swift approval of his work permit.
“Why was he not in the same position as coaches like Nasreddine Nabi and Jose Riveiro, who had to wait for the work permit if they didn’t go behind the back of the coach
Mngqithi?” Vilakazi asked.
“So, I want guys to see where the truth is in terms of running that institution.”
The former midfielder also criticized Sundowns’ inconsistency in dealing with coaches, suggesting that the club release coaches based on their performance in the CAF Champions League.
“Now Sundowns is coming back where they used to sign players when they needed to change coaches left, right, and center,” Vilakazi said.
“They put themselves in that position of releasing a coach just because he didn’t win the CAF Champions League like they did to coach Rulani Mokwena.”
Vilakazi believes that Sundowns should apply the same standards to Cardoso, who failed to win the CAF Champions League.
“They must also do the same like they did to Rulani, they must release Cardoso as well because he didn’t win the Champions League,” he said.
As Sundowns prepares for the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States with coach Cardoso at the helm, Vilakazi’s comments have added fuel to the fire.
Cardoso’s tenure has been marked by inconsistency, winning the Betway Premiership but losing the Champions League, and being knocked out in the Nedbank Cup semi-final. Mngqithi took over the team earlier in the season after the club parted ways with coach Rulani Mokwena, who lost the MTN8, Nedbank Cup. Sundowns were knocked out in the semi-finals in two seasons.
Although Mokwena won the African Football League and the league title, it wasn’t enough to save his job.
The debate surrounding Sundowns’ governance and decision-making process continues to rage on, with Vilakazi’s remarks sparking a heated discussion among fans and pundits alike.
