Cardoso says Sundowns’ Champions League triumph is not about personal recognition

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says personal recognition was not his motivation after guiding the club to CAF Champions League glory last season.

The Brazilians won the competition for only the second time in their history in May, beating Morocco’s AS FAR Rabat in the final. The achievement ended a nine-year wait for the continental trophy, following Sundowns’ previous triumph under former coach Pitso Mosimane in 2016.

It was the only major honour secured by Sundowns last season. They surrendered the Betway Premiership title to Orlando Pirates and failed to win the other domestic competitions, making their success in Africa the standout moment of their campaign.

Cardoso was asked whether he believed he had received sufficient appreciation for leading the club to its continental success. The Portuguese coach responded that recognition was no longer something he sought from football.

Instead, Cardoso said his attention was fixed on his work and on the players, whom he believes should receive the credit for Sundowns’ achievements.

“Regarding recognition, look, I don’t work for recognition at all. It’s finished that time for me. I was younger already. When I was younger, I thought that recognition would be very important,” said Cardoso

The 53-year-old said his priority was to find enjoyment in his work, particularly because the demands of coaching meant he could not spend as much time with his family as he would like.

“I just work for living, for life, to enjoy. Believe me, I work to enjoy a lot. And because I don’t enjoy my family as much as I would like, I have to enjoy my job. There’s a lot of things that I already miss that have to do with life. And that is the most important thing, you know.

“For me, the job is pleasure. It’s a pleasure for me, pleasure for my family that is there. My father was also a coach, a football player, a sportsman all his life. And he will one day die watching his son fighting for the man he made grow.

“And recognition, I don’t really take it personal. I just enjoy and I let my players have the credit of everything I do and I can do for them.”

Cardoso’s comments came against the backdrop of a difficult domestic campaign for Sundowns, despite their success on the continent. The club’s Champions League victory provided their sole major trophy of last season after Orlando Pirates took the league title and Sundowns missed out in the remaining domestic competitions.

The coach has also faced questions over the team’s defensive performances this season, while a late winner from Mokoena recently sent Sundowns to the top of the table.

For Cardoso, however, the focus remains on the satisfaction he takes from coaching rather than on the acclaim that may follow a trophy. He said he preferred to allow the players to take the credit for what the team had achieved during his time in charge.

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