A visibly emotional Miguel Cardoso paid tribute to the entire Mamelodi Sundowns club for their backing after winning the Coach of the Month award.
Cardoso had come under major scrutiny shortly after the break as they looked to be heading for a group stage exit from the CAF Champions League and suffered a Nedbank Cup elimination at the hands of TS Galaxy.
However a run of four league wins between the chaos, where fans were calling for his sacking alongside Sporting Director Flemming Berg, added to the 2-0 win over MC Alger to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, it’s painted a brighter picture.
Club Chairman Thlopie Motsepe, publicly backed Cardoso and his technical team stating that in their maiden 2016 Champions League triumph was a season where they weren’t at their best domestically and continentally under legendary former coach Pitso Mosimane and with the tide turning there’s renewed optimism that Masandawana can challenge for both remaining titles this season.
“Obviously I would very, very, not even serious if I say I’m not happy because of it [winning the award], but I stay especially happy because it gives a lot of energy for my family also in Portugal,” he said.
“For my papa and mama, my brother, my wife, for my son – for my friends, they all get a lot of energy out of this. But I see this trophy as a very strong collective achievement, very strong collective achievement.
“So when I got it, they were telling me congrats coach on the group, I just put hearts on all their messages, and I’m waiting to arrive home, sit on my sofa and write back, but I had that talk in the morning.
“It’s really… it’s really, like this means the guys really stood up for the moment and that is what I want, believe me I will put a sticker on this one and write something, because this one is really there [award]. Yes we work hard to allow them to win, we study and discuss a lot – we don’t sleep much.
“But in the end we just want to see them smile and give that hug in the locker room that is a hug of someone that is joy, it’s the biggest thing a coach can receive, it’s the hug of a player that is satisfied, a player that comes to the bench and gives you a word.
“A player that says bravo, thank you, because you helped us with this, just a smile? It’s sometimes just the small things that makes us believe that we are usefull, we are helping, we’re just giving them tools to help them do what they do best, that’s how I see the trophy.
“And then it’s the support of the club, the support of the Chairman, the support of all the board, the support of Mr Flemming – the support of my coaches with whom I’m such a pain in the ass to them, with all respect, really I am because I push them to be better everyday.
“I push them to discuss more and more, to take things to the limit, the analysts, the medical department, who work hard to get the boys [ready], the fitness, conditioning coaches, and science department, everyone at Chloorkop! From the kitchen, nutritionist. Shupi who works on the press who it’s hard to deal with me, it was so hard because like I was so angry after the match.
“But we know what we want to achieve together, we know where the limit is, we know to say excuse me when we break, we know everything we do is in the best interest of the club and we will stick together, so this trophy is for everyone, my family in Portugal and everyone in Chloorkop, if they want to put it there [at the club] they can, because that’s what it means, it’s the clubs.”
Sundowns now turn their attention to the continental commitments where they host Stade Malien next week Friday for the first leg quarter-final.
Image credit: Lebohang Tsotetsi]
