Cardoso fires back at doubters after Sundowns title triumph
- Martin T
- May 19
- 2 min read
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has reflected on the initial scepticism surrounding his appointment at Masandawana, recalling how his capabilities were questioned.
The Portuguese tactician stepped into the head coach role midway through the season following the departure of Manqoba Mngqithi after an inconsistent start.
Over the past weekend, Cardoso celebrated his first piece of silverware in the PSL as he guided the Tshwane giants to their eighth consecutive league title, clinching the Betway Premiership.
Cardoso stated that his trophy record was unfairly scrutinised upon his arrival, arguing that those who doubted him overlooked his extensive and valuable experience.
"People having doubts about me was never a problem. They were not attentive to me or where I came from," said Cardoso. "16 years ago, I played a UEFA Europa League final as an assistant coach at [Sporting] Braga against FC Porto.
"So I’ve gone a long way before I arrived at Sundowns. But people didn’t pay attention to that; they went back and asked, ‘How many trophies has he won?’ Many coaches that are even better than me will never even win a trophy because they have never been in a place where winning is possible, but they have won many other things.
"We lost the final with Braga against Porto, but go back and look at which teams we defeated before we reached the final. Liverpool, Dynamo Kyiv, Sevilla, Celtic Glasgow, Benfica, Arsenal, and we lost 1-0 against Porto at the end. That trophy, I don’t have. Look at our journey before the final, so on that day, I wasn’t happy, but I was not a loser, I was a winner. I’m still proud."
Cardoso will have another big opportunity to add to his trophy haul with Sundowns as they are set to face Pyramids FC in the CAF Champions League final.
The first leg is scheduled for Saturday, 24 May, at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, with the return match taking place at 30 June Stadium on 1 June.
