Miguel Cardoso signs long-term contract extension with Mamelodi Sundowns

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has confirmed he agreed a new long-term contract with the club during the off-season.

The Portuguese coach’s future had been questioned after his second season in charge, despite leading Sundowns to the CAF Champions League title. The club missed out on the domestic cup competitions during the campaign.

Cardoso said the new agreement had been completed before the start of the current season, with negotiations taking place during the European summer.

“Look, that situation already came in the [off-season], nothing was done now, everything was done in the [European] summer,” Cardoso said.

“It’s clear that both the club and myself share the same values in terms of how we see football.”

The 53-year-old explained that Mamelodi Sundowns first activated an option in his previous contract before discussions began over a completely new deal.

“The technical staff is very happy to be in the club, the club is showing happiness in having us, so we changed the terms we had,” he said.

“The club at the time had an option they executed, but we at the same time on the same day started discussing a new contract.”

Although the exact duration of Cardoso’s new agreement has not been revealed, he said the commitment between the coach and the club was more significant than the formal details.

“And yes, we have a long-term contract, that we as coaches want, to take it to the limit,” he said.

“And it’s not important, the paper, the commitment is important. The commitment is very strong from both sides.”

Cardoso believes the contract provides stability at Chloorkop and reflects a shared approach between the club and his coaching staff.

“It’s just a sign that we share values and that makes everyone happy and gives stability. We’re happy,” he added.

“But as I said, it’s something that happened in the summer, before we came in South Africa.”

The agreement follows a significant period of success for Cardoso at Mamelodi Sundowns.

In his first season, he led the club to the domestic league title and the CAF Champions League final. During his second campaign, Sundowns went on to win the continental competition, ending a decade-long wait for their second Champions League crown and the FIFA Africa-Asian-Pacific Cup title.

Cardoso’s new deal means he will continue to lead the club as they seek to build on that historic CAF Champions League triumph.