‘One day I will go and no one needs to push me and I just need to take this calmly and work,’ he said.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso delivered a defiant assessment of his side’s current form following their narrow 2-1 victory over Motsepe Foundation Championship side Gomora United in the Nedbank Cup at Loftus Versfeld.
Their long-standing dominance of the domestic game is being tested this season, with Orlando Pirates leading the Betway Premiership standings by three points after 15 matches, raising questions over whether Sundowns’ era of control after eight consecutive league titles may be nearing its end.
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Asked to explain what has been missing from his side this season compared to previous campaigns, Cardoso dismissed the notion that Sundowns are in decline and instead pointed to increased competition.
“There’s nothing missing, do you expect Sundowns to win the championship with a 20-point advantage every year? That will not happen,” the coach said.
“There’s a lot of quality in the squad, a lot of quality in the coaching staff and the coach because I don’t see around any coach with the curriculum that I have but it is what it is, we will not win every day but we have to believe.”
Attention now turns to a crucial period in Sundowns’ season, with their continental ambitions hanging in the balance. The Tshwane giants face a must-win CAF Champions League group-stage clash against Saint-Éloi Lupopo on Sunday, before closing their group campaign with a decisive home fixture against MC Alger.
“What is important at this club is not whether we fall but the attitude you show when you rise up and those are the values we have at the club. We’re together, united, strong and we will move forward in the right,” Cardoso said.
The Portuguese coach also addressed a social media post that surfaced earlier in the week, showing him driving out the PSL headquarters following a press briefing, expressing his displeasure at what he viewed as a lack of respect.
“I don’t think it’s proper to joke about the colour of the car of the coach and the way he got out of a press conference,” he concluded.
“That is what is missing, to look at the coach and say ‘this guy didn’t fall from the sky, this guy coached teams that no one ever imagined in South Africa’ but just show some respect and that’s it.
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“One day I will go and no one needs to push me and I just need to take this calmly and work. These players and the club deserve a lot of respect because it’s a huge club and it’s so strong.”
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