“My job is to find solutions, not problems!”
Mamelodi Sundowns’ coach Miguel Cardoso acknowledged this during their Carling Knockout pre-match press conference ahead of their clash at home to Marumo Gallants on Saturday night (8pm kick-off).
Sundowns have been somewhat a shadow of themselves since the start of the season as they’ve blown cold in domestic football, including missing out on the first silverware of the season—the MTN8 crown.
Their lacklustre performances coupled with inconsistent results haven’t gone down well with some of Masandawana, as they’ve called for the head of Cardoso together with the sporting director, Flemming Berg, in recent weeks.
Cardoso has stated that they’ve not been the same due to exhaustion and over-congested fixtures – which has seen more players being admitted to the medical room – and the contractual issues between the club and the management team.
“We saw that our start was difficult given the fact that while others were preparing, we were playing,” Cardoso reflected. “We also had to change a lot in the team.
“But the energy that we are putting in will allow us to jump stages, and give us the approach of where we want to be as quickly as possible.”
With the supporters’ patience for Cardoso clearly wearing thin with every passing game, the Portugal-born coach will lead Sundowns in the Carling Knockout opening game against Gallants, hoping he can worm his way back into the Masandawana’s hearts.
That won’t be easy, though. Sundowns haven’t been at their best in domestic cup matches, having also been beaten by Magesi in the Carling Knockout final last season—a feat that somewhat resulted in the sacking of his predecessor Manqoba Mngqithi.
Cardoso knows that there’s no room for excuses if he’s to finish his first full season with the club, which is why he’ll leave no stone unturned in making sure Sundowns are back to their best.
“The competition is hard, and we need to respect the competition,” Cardoso admitted. “So, we need to be committed to the work that we do every day, and raise our level. We can’t stay where we are.
“But it’s also important for people not to look at Sundowns the same because we are not the same. There are new players, new dynamics and new things. We can assure the fans that we’ll fight hard. We need to have the attitude.”
One of the new players, who’s set to bring a different dynamic to Sundowns is Nuno Santos. The 26-year-old who has hit the ground running after joining from Vitória de Guimarães in the recent window.
Santos earned the Player-of-the-Match award in his second appearance and first start for the team when they hammered Richards Bays 4-1 at home on Saturday.
Donning the vintage No. 10 jersey, Santos has been earmarked by some Masandawana as the replacement of last season’s talisman Lucas Ribeiro, who terminated his contract with the club and moved to the Spanish second division.
While admitting for the first time that the club has severed ties with Ribeiro—the reigning PSL Footballer of the Season—Cardoso weighed in on the assumptions that Santos is Ribeiro’s replacement.
“Nuno is not Lucas’ substitution,” Cardoso said. “No one in the club looks for replacements of players who are not there. We look for players who’ll help the team, and that’s completely different.
“We look at the profile of the players that we need in each position to make us stronger in the future. We then went for targets, and I think it was a job that was done very well. We brought in players that will help us.”
