IT LOOKS like the storms that attacked Mamelodi Sundowns coach, Miguel Cardoso, who has struggled in the past few weeks as fans want to lash out at him because of the sloppiness of the Chloorkop club.
The failure of Sundowns to win the first two cups of the season in MTN8 and Carling Knockout has disappointed the fans. Another anger was caused by the Brazilians being in danger of exiting the Caf Champions League. However, it has become history that this team advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating MC Alger from Algeria.
In fact, this game is the one that changed everything for Sundowns, they returned to the way they are known to play, and they gave Orlando Pirates a beating. However, in recent weeks, TS Galaxy has been eliminated from the Nedbank Cup. In the Betway Premiership, they have won six games in a row. The Brazilians are at the top of the log where they are tied with 44 points with Pirates.
Cardoso admitted that he has gone through a rough patch in recent months. This Portuguese coach won the Betway Premiership Coach of the Month award for January and February.
“I have never felt that I have lost control of the team. It is known that if you don’t win, the spirits are not the same when we are together (we win). But we remember, we know what we did. We lost two trophies on penalties, unfortunately that did not give us trophies. In one of them they did not even enter our box or kick the post. But football is like that,” said Cardoso.
“It’s hard to wake up the next day when you lose trophies like that. But the players know where to look and the people in the team help us to stay united. As I always say, the doors of Chloorkop are strong. What happens outside, is outside. What happens inside, is another matter. A lot of things were not done right in many things but you could see that I was always depressed. I don’t want to go back to the questions at the beginning of the season. It was not easy for us. It was difficult. We had to fight, fight for everything something.”
Sundowns will face Orbit College in a league match on Tuesday at 7.30 pm at Olympia Park, Rustenburg. This puts it in a position to open a three-point gap at the top of the log between itself and Pirates who will play against Richards Bay on Wednesday at 7.30 pm, at the Orlando Amstel Arena.
After Orbit, Sundowns will play against Stade Malien of Mali in the quarterfinals of the Champions League in Pretoria on Friday.
“In football you have to think about the future. I don’t think behind. What I know is that on Tuesday we will play against Orbit. That is the challenge we have. From there, we will see if we are represented in front but for now it is Orbit. No one in the team is thinking about anything other than Orbit,” said Cardoso.