Miguel Cardoso signs long-term Mamelodi Sundowns deal after trophy-winning spell

Mamelodi Sundowns have extended Miguel Cardoso’s tenure with a new long-term contract after the Portuguese coach helped complete the club’s transformation into a force capable of competing beyond Africa.

The agreement follows a highly successful two-year partnership, during which Sundowns won the Betway Premiership, the CAF Champions League and the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup.

Cardoso confirmed the new deal after a review of the progress made by both coach and club. Their next opportunity to add to that success comes on Saturday night, when Sundowns face Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Victory would end Sundowns’ long wait for success in domestic cup competitions, although the outcome of that match is unlikely to change the argument that Cardoso and the club should continue working together.

His appointment initially appeared surprising. Cardoso arrived after Sundowns had failed to win the competition in the previous season and, at the time, looked to some observers like a short-term solution.

There was also disappointment in South Africa that Rulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi were regarded as unable to take the project further, despite their work in establishing the foundations of the team.

However, Sundowns’ subsequent achievements suggest that a change was needed to complete the process. Mokwena and Mngqithi had built the structure, while Cardoso supplied a different approach and delivered the finishing stages of the project.

He ended Sundowns’ decade-long wait for the CAF Champions League and helped turn them into a side that looked prepared for the global stage. Their performances at the FIFA Club World Cup did not bring the results they wanted, but they demonstrated that Sundowns could compete with some of the world’s leading teams in terms of ambition and competitiveness.

The FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup success was further evidence of that progress rather than a one-off achievement.

Cardoso has also strengthened the squad without disrupting its balance. His new signings have settled quickly, with Brayan Leon establishing himself as the team’s main source of goals and Cassius Mailula appearing as though he had never left the club.

The coach’s frequent complaints can sometimes make him sound like a crybaby, but they also reflect his concern for Sundowns and for the wider development of South African football. His experience in Portugal and North Africa has given him a different perspective on issues such as playing surfaces.

Mokwena and Mngqithi, who made their breakthroughs in the PSL, had spent much of their careers working within South Africa’s existing conditions. Cardoso, by contrast, had seen alternatives elsewhere and was therefore more likely to challenge what had become normal.

He also stood firm over the Bafana Bafana situation after Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena and Bathusi Aubaas returned injured before the MTN8 final. Cardoso recognised that FIFA rules oblige clubs to release eligible players for international duty, while acknowledging that clubs cannot always control what happens during that period.

Whether Sundowns lift the trophy in Durban or not, their partnership with Cardoso has earned the chance to continue. Together, they have shown that the right coach can take an established project to another level.