THE COACH of Mamelodi Sundowns, Miguel Cardoso, believes that his team could have achieved more than what they achieved in the 2025/26 season, even though they ended a 20-year streak without winning the CAF Champions League.
The Brazilians became African champions for the second time after defeating AS FAR Rabat of Morocco in the past weeks.
However, it failed to win domestic titles as it lost the Betway Premiership, which was taken by Orlando Pirates, and failed to take one of the MTN8, Carling Knockout and Nedbank Cup.
Looking back, Cardoso admitted that his team could have done better and expects them to improve next season.
“I think we could have done better in terms of results. If we look back at last season, we must understand that we went through difficult times,” said Cardoso speaking on the Pitchside Podcast on YouTube.
“I want to remind people that in the two home playoffs (MTN8 and Carling Knockout), we were eliminated on penalties. When you lose like that, the pain is the same but you can’t regret it too much because anything can happen.
“I don’t want to say too much about our journey in the domestic league (Betway Premiership) because everyone knows how many obstacles we faced. Playing seven games in 21 days was very difficult. At that time we lost key players who could have helped us in the title race.”
Despite disappointing domestic competitions, Cardoso believes winning the Champions League for the first time since 2016 was a huge achievement and will boost the team’s confidence for next season.
“I knew when I arrived at this club that winning the Champions League was a big dream. Accomplishing it gave us a sense of responsibility and gave us the feeling that we had done something important,” continued Cardoso.
“When we were walking around with the trophy in Pretoria, I understood better what this trophy means to the people and the fans of this team. We understand that we can change people’s lives and bring them joy through football.
“The level is high now. If the level is high, the attitude must be high and everything you do must be at a different level. Our aim is to continue fighting for all the titles without deviating from our other goals during the season.”
By finishing second in the Betway Premiership last season, Sandawana will face Polokwane City in the first round of the MTN8 in the 2026/27 season.