Mamelodi Sundowns boss Miguel Cardoso says side can challenge for every trophy

Mamelodi Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso says his team are ready to compete on all fronts as they begin their season with an MTN8 quarter-final against Polokwane City on Saturday.

The Brazilians were due to open their Betway Premiership campaign against Marumo Gallants last weekend, but were granted permission to postpone that fixture after returning from a pre-season training camp in Austria.

Their first competitive match of the season will instead be at home to Polokwane City, known as Rise and Shine, in the MTN8 quarter-final.

Mamelodi Sundowns won only one competition last season, the CAF Champions League, and Cardoso says the club must approach every tournament with the intention of winning it.

“We need to honour the badge we represent and play every match to win. Last season, unfortunately, we went out of two cup competitions on penalties. Hopefully this year we can settle those matches within the 90 minutes so that we do not have to reach a stage where the result can fall either way,” Cardoso told the club media department.

The Portuguese coach expects a difficult opening test against Polokwane City, who have changed managers since the two teams last met towards the end of the previous campaign.

“We will take it match by match. Polokwane are a tough opponent. We played them towards the end of last season, but they have a new coach and will surely have new dynamics,” he said.

Mamelodi Sundowns will study Polokwane City’s championship fixture for additional information, although Cardoso insists his side’s own performance will be the central concern.

“We will look at what they do in their championship match and try to get some information from that, but most of all we must worry about ourselves and how strongly we can start,” he added.

The coach also stressed the importance of preparation and concentration, with his players required to cope with the demands of the match while staying focused on their wider ambitions.

“We need to be mentally strong enough to deal with the difficulties the match will bring but also remain focused on our objectives. Those objectives are very clear. We must play every match to win and then assess where we stand as the competition progresses.”

Cardoso believes the squad is now physically and mentally prepared to compete after a difficult period following the death of midfielder Jayden Adams.

He said the tragedy had forced the club to interrupt its pre-season schedule, with the team attending a memorial service before travelling abroad to continue preparations.

“I think it was an important turnover in terms of emotions. We had to interrupt the preseason. We went to the memorial. We were not in the best place emotionally, so coming out of the country and escaping a bit from the context was very important,” he said.

The disruption also affected the availability of several players, with some involved in the preparations before later dropping out. Cardoso nevertheless believes the group continued to make progress through daily work and a clear focus on developing the team.

“We had to deal with a lot of situations. A lot of players were here and then out of the preparation, but we went through that working every day with a strong focus on the development of the team and on challenging the players for that. Team building, the spirit of the team, receiving the new ones and making them feel part of the family and welcoming them in the best way.”

Despite the interruption caused by the memorial service, Cardoso said Mamelodi Sundowns had gained considerable benefit from their pre-season programme in Austria.