Miguel Cardoso's journey at Mamelodi Sundowns has not been easy, but after winning four trophies, the Portuguese coach has strong grounds to argue that he deserves to lead one of Africa's largest football clubs.
Since arriving in December 2024, Cardoso has won the Betway Premiership, the CAF Champions Cup, the FIFA Africa-Asia-Pacific Cup, and most recently, the MTN8. Nevertheless, his time at Chulropke has been marked not only by awards but also by intense scrutiny and disappointment.
At Sundowns, victory is an expected outcome; a league title is almost mandatory, and continental success serves as the main criterion for evaluating coaches. Cardoso secured a domestic title for the team in his first season, but this was not enough to appease critics.
The defeat in the 2024/25 CAF Champions Cup final against Pyramids FC with a score of 3:2 over two matches raised questions about his ability to take Sundowns to the top. These doubts were understandable, as the club possessed a squad capable of dominating South Africa and aimed to restore its status as a leading force on the continent.
Reaching the final was a success, but the loss required Cardoso to return and prove that he could finish what he started. He did so in May 2026, leading Sundowns to a 2:1 victory over AS FAR from Morocco over two matches, winning a second League Champions title.
This moment became decisive in his career. Instead of letting the disappointment of the previous season undermine his position, Cardoso achieved a trophy that carries the most weight in Sundowns' ambitions. Despite this, other difficulties persisted: Sundowns lost the title in the 2025/26 season and experienced setbacks in domestic cup competitions, showing that continental success does not guarantee dominance in all areas.
However, the new season brought new reasons for optimism. Sundowns defeated Al Ahli Saudi 2:1 in the FIFA Africa-Asia-Pacific Cup, and then beat Orlando Pirates 2:0 in the MTN8 final on Saturday at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Tebogo Mokokena opened the scoring, and Ikram Rayners scored a penalty in added time, securing Sundowns' fifth MTN8 title and denying the Pirates an unprecedented fifth consecutive trophy. For Cardoso, this victory ended the team's wait for this tournament since 2021 and added another achievement to his career, which is steadily gaining momentum.
Nevertheless, it is premature to declare the mission complete. The main goals remain the Betway Premiership, the CAF Champions Cup, the Nedbank Cup, and the Carling Knockout, while further international opportunities depend on qualification and competition formats.
Managing a star-studded squad across multiple tournaments will call into question his tactical flexibility, ability to rotate players, and capacity to maintain athlete concentration. This is the reality of coaching at Sundowns: success does not allow time to relax, but only raises expectations for the future.
Cardoso deserves to be judged by his achievements, not just by lost finals or setbacks. Four trophies provide a convincing answer to those who doubted his competence. But at Chulropke, the ultimate measure is not what the coach has already won, but whether he can continue to win.