Cardoso opens up on change in fortunes & future ambitions

Miguel Cardoso has opened up about the journey that eventually led him to Mamelodi Sundowns, where he has enjoyed considerable success since arriving at the club in 2024.

The Portuguese coach wasted little time making his mark at Chloorkop, winning the Betway Premiership title in his first season.

However, the defining moment of his tenure came when he guided Sundowns to CAF Champions League glory last season, a trophy the club had been chasing since winning the competition for the first time in 2016.

Before making his way to South Africa, Cardoso’s coaching career took him across Portugal, Ukraine, France, Spain, Greece and Tunisia.

His success in Tunisia, where he also won the league title with Espérance, helped change the trajectory of a career that had seen him move between clubs in Europe without winning major silverware. It was during his time in North Africa that he caught the attention of Sundowns sporting director Flemming Berg.

Cardoso had led Espérance to the 2024 CAF Champions League final, where they lost to Egyptian giants Al-Ahly. On their way to the final, Espérance eliminated Sundowns in the semi-finals over two legs. Speaking on the latest episode of Masandawana TV, Cardoso reflected on the turning point in his coaching career.

“I found myself being a coach who wanted to develop and who had the chance to enter clubs where he would be ready to challenge for victories and give answers to those challenges,” he said.

“It was transformative when I had the chance to go to Tunisia and coming here to really match the demands with the resources that I have because that’s the biggest problem.

“When I speak to young coaches, they ask what’s happening because I’m winning and getting trophies. I tell them it’s because I now have the conditions to achieve them.”

While Sundowns are preparing for their MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday, Cardoso already has his sights set on reclaiming the Betway Premiership title.

The Brazilians saw their domestic dominance come to an end last season when Pirates ended their record-extending run of eight successive league titles.

“We will have championship matches to play at a high level because that’s the competition that we need to regain,” Cardoso said.

“It’s a strong objective for the season and also the [CAF] Super Cup is a very strong objective for us because of the possibility of getting a third continental trophy in six months for the club.”