Match made in heaven: Why Mamelodi Sundowns, Miguel Cardoso can live happily ever after

NewsSportLifestyleEntertainmentOpinionSportMatch made in heaven: Why Mamelodi Sundowns, Miguel Cardoso can live happily ever afterTHE FINAL WHISTLEMihlali Baleka|Published 23 minutes agoCopy to ClipboardAsk AIMiguel Cardoso’s new long-term deal at Mamelodi Sundowns proves that he was precisely the man needed to complete the job and take the club global.

It was hard to envisage that the honeymoon phase would last this long — let alone the union. Yet here they are, two years in, and Mamelodi Sundowns and Miguel Cardoso are still going strong, proving that they are a match made in heaven.

And that union looks set to last a while longer, with Cardoso confirming that he has signed a new long-term deal with the club following a review of their relationship and success, which has included winning the Betway Premiership, the CAF Champions League, and the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup.

There could even be more success for the two parties by Saturday night, especially if Cardoso ends Sundowns’ hoodoo in domestic cup competitions by winning the MTN8 final against rivals Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

But whether that trophy is won or not, Sundowns and Cardoso deserve more time together. They have complemented each other remarkably well, finding harmony through success while becoming a thorn in the side of their opponents.

Cardoso’s appointment was highly unexpected, even to me, to be honest. At the time, he seemed like a quick fix, brought in after Sundowns had failed to win the competition the previous season.

What also stung, as a South African, was the thought that fellow compatriots, Rulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi, were deemed incapable just when the project seemed to have reached completion, despite all the hard work they had put into laying the foundations and building the team. But I was wrong!

Sundowns have shown that while the pair were good at laying the foundations and putting the structure in place, the club needed a different approach to complete the job. And voilà! In came Cardoso. The Portuguese coach became exactly what the club needed.

Not only did he see things through to completion, winning the CAF Champions League with Sundowns after a decade-long drought, but he has also helped make the team look ready to compete on the world stage.

Sundowns were recently crowned African-Asian-Pacific Cup champions, and that was no fluke. Their performances at the FIFA Club World Cup did not produce the desired results, but they showed that, in terms of competitiveness and ambition, they could hold their own against some of the best teams in the world.

Again, Cardoso has built on the foundation laid by his predecessor, particularly when it comes to the squad. But what is noteworthy is how seamlessly his new recruits have fitted into the team. Brayan León has become the go-to man for goals, while Cassius Mailula looks like he never left the club.

I’ll be the first to admit that Cardoso sounds like a crybaby at times, always complaining. But if you listen closely to those complaints, you will sometimes hear someone who cares not just about Sundowns, but also about the growth of South African football.

I am not saying any of Cardoso’s predecessors would not have raised the same issues. But the truth is that when you are exposed to the same things for a long time, you get used to them. They become normal, especially when they are all you have ever known.

Since making their respective breakthroughs in the PSL, Mokwena and Mngqithi had become accustomed to South African football’s pitch conditions. They might have wanted better playing surfaces, but it is difficult to compare what you have always known with what you have never experienced. Cardoso, on the other hand, brought a different perspective, having worked in his native Portugal and North Africa.

I must also say that I was impressed with how Cardoso handled the Bafana Bafana situation. After three of his players — Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena, and Bathusi Aubaas — returned to the team injured ahead of the MTN8 final, he stuck to his position: they were national team players at the time, and their situations would be assessed when they returned.

That does not mean he was happy about the possibility of them being unavailable. Far from it. Rather, he understands that clubs are obligated under FIFA rules to release eligible players when called up for international duty. What happens while they are away, however, is not always within a club’s control.

Once again, the MTN8 final could end in disappointment for Cardoso and Sundowns in Durban. But if there is one thing I have come to appreciate, it is that this partnership deserves to continue. They bring out the best in each other, and their relationship has shown that sometimes, the right person comes along to take a project to the next level.

Whether they lift the trophy on Saturday night or not, Sundowns and Cardoso have given enough reason to believe that this marriage is worth keeping.