Cardoso targets first domestic cup triumph as Sundowns face MTN8 final

Miguel Cardoso will attempt to end his domestic knockout competition wait when Mamelodi Sundowns face Saturday’s MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

The Portuguese coach has been in charge for more than 100 games but is yet to win a domestic knockout trophy with Sundowns. The match will be his first domestic cup final in his fifth attempt.

Cardoso has previously had two opportunities in the Nedbank Cup, in 2024/25 and 2025/26, and another in the Carling KnockOut Cup in 2025/26. He is now preparing for his second MTN8 campaign after Sundowns were eliminated by Orlando Pirates on penalties in last season’s semi-final.

He has not previously managed to reach the final of those domestic competitions, leaving Saturday’s fixture as an opportunity to change that record and experience what defines a domestic cup final.

The pressure on Cardoso is tempered by the fact that his position remains secure, with the coach having delivered major honours on bigger stages. However, victory would remove a long-standing burden from both him and the club.

Sundowns’ last domestic cup success came in the 2022 Nedbank Cup, won under the co-coaching arrangement of Manqoba Mngqithi and Rulani Mokwena. It is now four years and four months since the club lifted a domestic knockout trophy.

Cardoso’s record since taking charge includes the Betway Premiership, the CAF Champions League and the African-Asian-Pacific Cup. That latest success secured Sundowns a place in the Challenger Cup, the semi-final stage of the Intercontinental Cup.

The club have also reached another CAF Champions League final during his tenure and performed well at the FIFA Club World Cup. Those achievements carry greater weight than the financial rewards and other benefits attached to domestic knockout competitions.

Sundowns face a packed trophy schedule

A win in the MTN8 final would also continue an unusually busy run of cup commitments for Sundowns, who are due to compete for a trophy in four consecutive months.

They lifted the African-Asian-Pacific Cup last month before turning their attention to the MTN8 in October. The CAF Super Cup follows in November, while December brings three further competitions: the Carling KnockOut, the Challenger Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.

For Cardoso, Saturday’s final is therefore both a chance to secure his first domestic knockout honour with Sundowns and an opportunity to end the club’s wait for a domestic cup trophy.