Miguel Cardoso credits strong ethics after Sundowns surge earns Coach of the Month award

Miguel Cardoso believes the recognition he has received for his recent success with Mamelodi Sundowns reflects the strong work ethic driving the club’s impressive run in the Betway Premiership.

The Portuguese coach was named the league’s Coach of the Month after guiding Sundowns to four consecutive victories following the resumption of the domestic season after the Africa Cup of Nations break.

The results reinforced the club’s dominance in the title race and underlined a return to form after a challenging spell earlier in the campaign.

While accepting the honour, Cardoso emphasised that the accolade symbolises the commitment and discipline within the squad rather than an individual achievement.

“I’m especially happy because it gives a lot of energy to my family in Portugal — for my papa, my mama, my brother, my wife, my son and my friends. They all get a lot of energy out of this,” said Cardoso.

“But I see these trophies as a very strong collective achievement, so today when I got it and they were congratulating me in the group, I just put a heart on all of their messages. I am waiting to arrive home, sit on my sofa and write back, but I had that talk in the morning and that trophy means the guys stood up for the moment.”

The judging panel selected Cardoso ahead of rivals Abdeslam Ouaddou of Orlando Pirates and Gavin Hunt of Stellenbosch FC.

The award arrives amid a strong sequence of results that has seen Sundowns register six straight league victories, easing earlier concerns that the team’s momentum had stalled.

Cardoso insisted he never believed the squad had lost faith in his leadership, despite speculation suggesting otherwise during a difficult period that included two cup final defeats decided by penalties.

“I have to confess to you that I never felt that there was any kind of loss in terms of managing the locker room,” he said.

“As I told you, we lost two cups on penalties which unfortunately didn’t give us trophies. I repeat, in one of them there was not even one entry into our box or shot on goal, but it’s football.”

Cardoso maintained that the unity within the club remained intact during those setbacks, crediting the organisation’s internal culture for keeping the squad focused.

“I have always said the doors at Chloorkop are very strong. What happens outside is outside, but what happens inside is a different story,” he added.

The Sundowns coach, however, admitted that the season has not been without its testing moments, even as his team continues to respond with consistency on the pitch.