Cardoso opens up on ‘external manipulation’ during Mamelodi Sundowns’ struggles

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has alleged that the initial unrest in the team was a result of manipulation from external forces.

In the better half of the ongoing campaign, Masandawana have struggled to deliver consistently across all competitions. The Brazilians failed to deliver in the MTN8, falling in the semi-final to eventual champions Orlando Pirates.

It got worse in the Carling Knockout and the Nedbank Cup, where they were eliminated in the initial stages. Furthermore, the reigning Premier Soccer League defending champions almost failed to make it out of Group C in the CAF Champions League.

The former Esperance coach was under pressure to turn the situation around, with fans calling out the management to fire the Portuguese. Celebrated tactician Pitso Mosimane was heavily linked with a move back to the club.

A lot of manipulation from outside?

“I have to confess, I never felt that there was any kind of loss in terms of managing the locker room. Obviously, when you are not winning, the emotions are not the same as when we are winning, but we have memories. We know what we have done in the past,” he said in a presser.

“We lost two cups on penalties and, unfortunately, that didn’t give us trophies; but that is football. The players know very well the direction we are taking, and people within the club help us by keeping us united. I always say the doors of Chloorkop are strong, very, very strong. What happens outside is outside; what happens inside is another story.

“I think there was a lot of manipulation regarding a lot of things. You saw me always calm, and while it was not easy for us, we had to fight back; keeping the belief and giving energy to our fans and the people we love.

“People try to take advantage of the moment; they felt they could find bridges to enter and touch us, but we showed we are courageous and that we have the backbone to handle it,” Cardoso concluded.