Cardoso hits back at Sundowns dressing room split rumours

For a moment, it seemed the fortress was crumbling. Between the hollow echoes of penalty shootout heartbreaks and the weight of a looming continental exit, the air at Chloorkop had grown thick with uncertainty. But if you ask Miguel Cardoso, the walls of Mamelodi Sundowns never even shook.

The Portuguese tactician has stepped forward to set the record straight on a turbulent period that saw fans turn on the bench and the ghost of Pitso Mosimane haunt the stands.

The Storm Before the Calm at Sundowns Under Cardoso

The low point was impossible to ignore. After Sundowns crashed out of both the Carling Knockout Cup and Nedbank Cups on spot-kicks, the narrative shifted from dominance to decline. Hostility peaked when objects were reportedly hurled at Cardoso and Sporting Director Flemming Berg, while the rhythmic chanting of “Pitso, Pitso” served as a pointed reminder of the club’s past glories.

Yet, despite the chaos outside the gates, Cardoso insists the “locker room” remained a sanctuary.
“I have to confess, I never felt that there was any kind of loss in terms of managing the locker room,” Cardoso revealed. “Obviously, when you are not winning, the emotions are not the same… but we have memories. We know what we have done in the past.”

Now, the picture looks vastly different. A relentless six-game winning streak has catapulted the Brazilians back into the title conversation with Orlando Pirates and secured a spot in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. For his efforts, Cardoso was recently crowned the Betway Premiership Coach of the Month.

Reflecting on the crisis, Cardoso suggests the “rift” was more fiction than fact, engineered by those hoping to see the giants stumble.

“I think there was a lot of manipulation regarding a lot of things,” he added. “People felt they could find bridges to enter and touch us, but we showed we are courageous and that we have the backbone to handle it.”

Cardoso’s message to the detractors is clear: the internal bond at Sundowns is forged in memory and unity, not just current results. While the world outside Chloorkop was calling for a revolution, the man inside was busy reinforcing the foundations.