Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has hit back at speculation surrounding his future at the club, insisting that everyone within the organisation always knew he would remain — and that those who wanted him gone had no power to act on it.
Questions had circulated in some quarters about whether Cardoso would continue at Sundowns going into the Africa Cup of Nations, but the Portuguese coach was unambiguous in dismissing those reports as noise from voices that carry no weight inside the club.
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“That kind of people don’t make my life, I live from the energy from the ones that are important and it’s curious that you say we didn’t know if we would stay, we all knew I would stay,” Cardoso said.
“We all knew we would stay, me, my assistants, my club, management, my players, we all knew that I would stay.
“The ones that wanted me out, were probably ones that don’t have power or capacity to decide.”
Cardoso was also keen to redirect attention away from himself personally after guiding Sundowns to a second consecutive CAF Champions League final, insisting that the achievement belongs to the players.
“But I don’t look at this moment [reaching the final] as an individual achievement, I look at it as a club achievement, players achievements, it’s their job, their work, their high-level of commitment, not mine,” he continued.
“I just try to facilitate and complicate nothing and that’s it. I live in peace, I live in big peace, I am 54 and I have to enjoy life. One day, life will finish for everyone and I don’t depend on my day-to-day work. I depend on what I did many years ago.
“So, my life is very stable. And I need to enjoy life, which brings me the peace of existing as a human being, that makes me just focus on my work, one day the journey will finish, for sure – let’s hope it’s very far away from today.”
The 54-year-old spoke warmly about his life in South Africa, describing a genuine connection with the country and its people; and crediting that settled personal environment as central to his ability to perform professionally.
“But until that day I will enjoy every day because I live in a beautiful country with beautiful people, I love to live here, I really do. My family loves [South Africa], I think people around me like us a lot. We try to create the right energy, that flow is very important to succeed.
“It’s with open hearts we are here, for the differences and similarities and not deal with the people who can speak, it’s not important. I have social media, yes I do, do I follow blogs? No, I don’t – so I try to avoid noise as much as possible, noise that can twist my mind.
“And my people are the same – if there’s something important, the press officer of the club will tell me or my assistant coaches will tell me, whatever is beyond that or on the side, I don’t relate with. I always try to see if my son is okay, if my wife okay, my papa and mama are okay. Because if they are okay? I am good and I can manage and go forward.”
No Issues Outside Social Media With Supporters
Despite the online criticism and alleged campaigns when results were indifferent mid-season, his day-to-day experience in South Africa has been nothing but positive and expressed what he hopes will be his lasting legacy at the club.
“But most of all, I want to give to joy to Mamelodi Sundowns family, to see these people enjoy, to be with them and you know something that is very beautiful, there’s a lot of people who speak on social media but I have to confess to you, there’s not been one single moment on my personal life in South Africa that someone came to be and complained,” he added.
“People on the streets, in the supermarket, everywhere, and I go on the streets, I go everywhere [when I have time], people give me love and I give love to people, there’s respect and that’s the only thing I want to leave when I go from this club, people who look at me, my assistant coaches know, it’s this guy, whatever he makes or achieved, is a guy who respects and that’s for sure that you will get from Miguel Cardoso.”
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