Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso nominated for IFFHS Coach of the Year award

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has been shortlisted for the prestigious IFFHS Coach of the Year award, rubbing shoulders with the world’s elite managers.

The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), which has been honouring football excellence since 1987 across categories such as World’s Best Player, World’s Best Goalscorer, and World’s Best National Team Coach, has included Cardoso in this year’s shortlist.

An international jury composed of sports journalists and football experts from 120 countries will determine the rankings based on performances over the calendar year (January to December).

Cardoso finds himself among elite company, with Paris Saint-Germain’s treble-winning coach Luis Enrique, FC Barcelona’s Hansi Flick, and Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta also nominated.

The Sundowns boss has enjoyed a successful spell with the South African champions, leading them to an eighth consecutive Betway Premiership title and a runners-up finish in the CAF Champions League.

Under his guidance, Masandawana also became the only African club to win at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Check out the full list of nominees below:

Antonio Conte (Napoli)

Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)

Enzo Maresca (Chelsea)

Hansi Flick (FC Barcelona)

Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)

Simone Inzaghi (Inter/Al Hilal)

Unai Emery (Aston Villa)

Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich)

Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen/Real Madrid)

Abel Ferreira (Palmeiras)

Filipe Luis (Flamengo)

Gustavo Costas (Racing Club)

Tiago Nunes (Universidad Catolica/LDU Quito)

Vicente Sanchez (Cruz Azul)

Jesper Sorensen (Vancouver Whitecaps)

Matthias Jaissle (Al-Ahli)

Shigetoshi Hasebe (Kwasaki Frontale)

Krunoslav Jurcic (Pyramids)

Miguel Cardoso (Mamelodi Sundowns)