Mamelodi Sundowns to retain Miguel Cardoso? Motsepe hints about coach’s Masandawana future following inconsistent season

Miguel Cardoso helped Mamelodi Sundowns end their decade-long CAF Champions League drought by claiming an aggregate 2-1 win over AS FAR Rabat in the final.

It was a sigh of relief to the tactician and Masandawana, who had lost the Premier Soccer League to Soweto giants Orlando Pirates. The Brazilians had also failed to deliver in the MTN8, Carling Knockout, and Nedbank Cup.

There were questions raised about the former Esperance coach’s ability to lead Sundowns, especially after the inconsistencies witnessed. Club chairman Tlhopie Motsepe has now explained the next step for the technical team ahead of the 2026/27 edition.

Sundowns have achieved something special

“When we brought the coach to the club, there was an objective, a goal that we wanted to achieve. One, to make sure that the team could reach another level and achieve something very special, and we have done that. We have achieved something very special,” Motsepe told the media after Masandawana arrived from Morocco. 

“Now, the question going forward is, can we do it more? Can we do even better? Can we continue to write this very special story that we’ve written so far this season?

“I believe that where the club is heading right now is in a positive direction, and we will obviously go into the next few months now and have discussions, but definitely the discussions are already in a much more positive position than when we had discussions before the coach even joined the club. I think that’s as far as I should say out of respect for the coach and the discussions we are going to have as a board,” he added.

I’m not sure…

“I am not sure if vindication is the feeling that I have. I feel very proud of the coach. I feel very proud of the group because that belief that I had and conviction that I had was because of the group,” Motsepe continued.

“It was because of the way the group responded to the coach in the tough times and the way the group pulled each other together in the tough times. That gave me a lot of confidence. At the same time, the things we spoke about in his interview before he came to this football club.

“The ambition and vision that he had, and how he wanted to instill his tactics and philosophy in our football club. It was interesting and very exciting for me because he spoke a lot about emotions and he spoke a lot about individuals,” he concluded.