Cardoso credits good start and prior knowledge for Sundowns’ success

by Staff Reporter

Monday May 19, 2025. 15:00

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso believes that winning his first few games upon arrival at Sundowns, as well as prior knowledge of the club and its players, was key to the team’s success this season.

Sundowns won their final league game of the season against Magesi on Sunday, closing their Betway Premiership campaign with a perfect 14 wins from 14 home games.

Speaking after the game, Cardoso explained how a good start was key to ending their campaign in victory.

“I also was very lucky because we started winning. And winning in the beginning is the input, the energy you need to make people believe. And we won, as you remember here, a very important match against Raja. Then we went to Stellenbosch. We won in Stellenbosch. And I think after two weeks we were all believing that we would have capacity to do a good job together,” he said.

Cardoso also stated his knowledge of the club helped him integrate better.

The Portuguese national faced off against Sundowns as head coach of Espérance de Tunis last season, and defeated The Brazilians 2-0 on aggregate in the CAF Champions League semi-final.

“One thing [the players] understood immediately, is that I knew them very well,” said Cardoso.

“I knew the players very well. I knew the club very well. I knew the football they played very well. And also I knew very well where I wanted to go.”

Cardoso is set to appear in his second straight CAF Champions League Final, now hoping to lift the trophy for the first time with the side he knocked out en-route last year.

Sundowns will face Pyramids FC at Loftus Versfeld in the first leg of the final on Saturday.

By Nic Gleeson