Final Whistle Column
Miguel Cardoso is on the cusp of history across all fronts, and that’s why he could make his initial detractors, including yours truly, eat humble pie this month.
I’ll be the first to admit that I initially thought Mamelodi Sundowns shot themselves in the foot when they hired Cardoso.
Apart from guiding Esperance to the CAF Champions League final last season, which they lost to Al Ahly, there was nothing special about him, I thought.
He had arrived midway through the season at Esperance as his predecessor had all but won the league title and made huge strides on the continent.
Cardoso’s noteworthy achievements at the time was simply eliminating Sundowns in the semi-final of the Champions League after back-to-back 1-0 wins.
And so, forgive me – and many others – who thought that the Portugal-born coach was only hired by the Brazilians based on his triumph over them.
Granted, his predecessor Manqoba Mngqithi had started his tenure as the sole coach of the team on a mild note, crashing out of the MTN8 and Carling Knockout respectively.
But Mngqithi was fast establishing his footprint in the team as Sundowns were quick in transition and able to find the back of the net with ease.
As such, when club chairman Tlhopie Motsepe said during the unveiling of Cardoso that they had lost their identity and wanted to change their approach, that sounded flimsy.
How could it not? This was the same club that had fired Rulani Mokwena, who had a clear approach – building up from the back – at the end of the season.
But they wanted someone who’d not only be direct, but grind for results in the process. So, kudos, as it seems Cardoso was the right man.
He is not a flashy coach who’ll demand a unique approach from his troops, but he sets up his team according to the opponent and demand of the games.
At first, he really looked out of sorts as his team tended to struggle in the second half after a gallant and clinical first half.
But such has been his ability to adapt to the job and familiarise himself with the players at his disposal, he’s been on a rampant run that has seen Sundowns rise to the top in every respect.
Sundowns just need 10 points from a possible 15 to bag their record eighth Premiership title in succession, which would etch their names in the history books.
That wouldn’t happen by fluke. Far from it.
In fact, it would be due to the hard work of Cardoso and his players, as they have beaten their rivals to climb to the top of the log.
Cardoso’s troops hammered the second-placed Pirates 4-1 at home, before losing 2-1 in the reverse leg in March.
Their ability to pick up the first win and points in other games could all be good enough as Pirates are gasping for air in the title challenge after dropping points against the so -called minnows.
Winning the title might be standard procedure for Cardoso given the deep pockets of the club, which have been able to boast their depth.
And so, that’s why his primary mandate was to challenge for the coveted continental title, something that he’s just two matches away from achieving.
Sundowns, the 2016 African champions, are in the final of the Champions League, in which they’ll face Pyramids of Egypt in back-to-back matches this season.
This is the first time they reached the first hurdle in nine years, having lost in the last two semi-finals.
Their road to the final hurdle wasn’t smooth. But nevertheless, they got the job done, including eliminating the record-extending 12-time champions Al Ahly in the semi-final.
So, perhaps, that’s what Sundowns needed all these years: someone who’ll get there, adopt the squad at his disposal and get the best out of it.
And that’s what Cardoso has done.
Hence, myself and many others will probably need to get our coaching badges before demeaning a qualified coach as not good enough.
