Cardoso Looks Back on His Inaugural Season with Sundowns

Mamelodi Sundowns’ head coach, Miguel Cardoso, has shared his thoughts on his inaugural season leading the reigning Betway Premiership champions, after taking over from Manqoba Mnqithi in December of the previous year.

The Portuguese coach experienced an impressive beginning at the Chloorkop-based club, securing four consecutive victories across all competitions before facing his first defeat against Raja Casablanca during the CAF Champions League group stages.

Nonetheless, Cardoso successfully led the Tshwane giants to a record-extending eighth consecutive league title. They were edged out by Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup semi-final and suffered a painful loss to Egyptian side Pyramids FC in the CAF Champions League last season.

As the new season approaches, the 53-year-old coach reflects on a wealth of experiences from the 2024/25 campaign, emphasizing standout matches that contributed to Downs’ impressive run of scoring 37 goals in 13 matches across all competitions in January and February.

“Many wonderful memories come to mind regarding my first season in the PSL. There were various moments, but I can point out the most significant. The start was fantastic—challenging yet very rewarding in terms of outcomes,” Cardoso shared, noting his nomination for the Betway Coach of the Season.

“We immediately won crucial matches against Stellenbosch and AmaZulu away, which infused us with positive energy and united everyone. Then I recall January, where we consistently found the net, winning matches by significant margins, creating a strong statement at that time.”

Additionally, Cardoso reflected on his team’s continental achievements during this period, highlighting that the South African champions recorded six straight victories in the Betway Premiership despite a busy schedule.

“I also cherish the moment we triumphed over Al Ahly to qualify for the Champions League final, where we had six matches left in the season, and we achieved six consecutive wins with remarkable performances, commitment to our results, and excellent football,” he remarked.

“For me, these memories are invaluable: the joy of the fans, the excitement of our supporters, our happiness playing football, the players celebrating victories, and the images behind those accomplishments and records we set on our way to winning the league title.”

Masandawana are scheduled to resume training on Monday following their participation in the revamped 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in the USA. Although Cardoso’s squad held their own against tough competitors, they were eliminated in the group stages, similar to other African representatives.