Cardoso faces packed schedule before Sundowns’ MTN8 final

Mamelodi Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso says his side must cope with a demanding run of fixtures after reaching the MTN8 final, where they will face Orlando Pirates on 10 October.

Sundowns secured their place in the final against Golden Arrows on away goals after the semi-final ended 3-3 on aggregate. The achievement gives Cardoso his first domestic knockout competition final since taking charge, but it comes during an exceptionally busy period for the Tshwane club.

Before the showpiece match, Sundowns will also compete in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the Betway Premiership. Several members of the squad are expected to join Bafana Bafana for international duty in the near future, adding to the demands on Cardoso and his players.

Sundowns begin the latest stretch of their schedule against Premiership newcomers Milford FC on Wednesday. They then face Golden Arrows again in the league on Saturday, shortly after eliminating them from the MTN8.

Siwelele are next on the fixture list on 9 September. Ten days later, Sundowns will meet Saudi club Al Ahli at Loftus Stadium in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. They are taking part in that competition after winning the Champions League.

Cardoso accepts that the number of matches will bring complications, but says the club must manage the circumstances that come with competing for several major honours.

“This is our fate. Wednesday we have a match that comes from a fixture we had to change in order to play international competitions and Golden Arrows will rest throughout the week. But it’s something of a context we have to manage,” Cardoso said after Sunday’s match against Golden Arrows.

“I don’t want to pay too much attention on that, otherwise South Africa will say I cry a lot,” said the Portuguese.

Cardoso said he would rather acknowledge the circumstances than complain about them, pointing out that Sundowns’ crowded calendar is also evidence of their success.

“I just state conditions and that’s it. We are proud and happy to have those fixtures. It means we are fighting for a lot of tournaments and a lot of big things, and today was a big thing. It was an important one. When the competition started, we said we would like to be in the final. I asked the boys and said ‘guys, I need to play this final and want you guys to play this final’. We need to manage context and it means in some matches we rotate matches. We also try to make everybody.”

The Portuguese coach could therefore make further changes to his team when Sundowns host Milford FC on Wednesday.

The match has been rescheduled to accommodate the club’s involvement in international competitions, while Golden Arrows will have no game during the week before the two sides meet again in the Premiership on Saturday.

Cardoso’s immediate priority is to keep Sundowns competitive across every tournament without overburdening his squad. Their progress into the MTN8 final means they remain in contention for another trophy, but the demands of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, domestic league commitments and international football will test the depth of the team before the meeting with Orlando Pirates.