Cardoso says Mamelodi Sundowns are rebuilding after Super Cup setback

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has rejected suggestions that his players have lost the desire to compete at the highest level, insisting the current squad cannot be compared directly with the team that reached the pinnacle of African football last season.

Sundowns’ rebuilding process came under scrutiny after they were beaten 3-1 by USM Alger in the CAF Super Cup. The defeat followed their elimination from the CAF Champions League by Angolan club Williete SC last month.

The back-to-back disappointments have prompted questions about whether the squad needs significant renewal following last season’s Champions League triumph. Cardoso, however, said the team has changed considerably since reaching two successive finals and two semi-finals in the competition.

“That could be an analysis done very quickly by looking at the CAF results, I don’t think it’s fair to take it literally,” Cardoso told iDiski Times when asked whether Sundowns required an influx of new players.

“If we make an analysis, take a look at the team that played the two finals of the Champions League and the two semi-finals, and probably look at the team that played today, you see it’s not the same team, it’s another team.

“We have lost a lot of players, but we cannot complain. We know we are rebuilding, we know we have quality. Obviously, here and there, we don’t have maturity, which is different. Quality is one thing; maturity is another to play these matches.”

Cardoso said Sundowns had reached their highest level of experience during last season’s continental campaign, but that maturity now had to be developed again.

“Of course, we understood that last year, we achieved the pinnacle of maturity, and it’s something that needs to be rebuilt,” he said. “The team showed hunger, quality, we played international matches at a high level and will play more.

“But we know there’s a lot of youth. The centre-backs today were 22 and 23.”

He highlighted the departures and absences affecting his squad, including Nuno Santos and Brayan Leon, as well as Keanu Cupido, Khuliso Mudau and Jayden Adams. Ronwen and Teboho had also only recently returned.

“Iqraam always does his best, did well, but we had two losses to the [starting] XI in the 15 minutes of the game and if you add to it all the players that are out, obviously it’s tough,” Cardoso said.

“The absences we have from Keanu [Cupido], [Khuliso] Mudau, the late Jayden [Adams], all those were very important players, with Nuno and Brayan. If you take them out, look really well at the team, this team has nothing to do with last year.”

Despite having won two trophies during the current campaign, Cardoso admitted the loss to USM Alger was a particularly painful result because he believed Sundowns had the quality to win another continental title.

He also felt the physical conditions of the pitch did not suit technically gifted players such as Siyanda, Tashreeq, Antonio and Marcelo.

“It’s time to continue to work. There’s a lot of things to do and I feel we will do many beautiful things in the future,” he said.