More pressure on Cardoso? Pitso Mosimane leaves door open for Sundowns return

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso received a massive relief when his side secured a 2-1 win over Orlando Pirates on Wednesday but that has not stopped speculation about his position.

Cardoso took the spotlight away from his future when Brayan Leon’s first half brace helped Sundowns to the win over title rivals Pirates but the match came moments after Pitso Mosimane had cleared the air over reports linking him with a return to the club.

“Ja, I’ve seen on social media (Sundowns fans calling for his return), I know that,” Mosimane said on the SMWX Podcast when asked about the Sundowns links.

Mosimane hasn’t ruled out Downs return

“Look, it’s possible, anything is possible, never say never in life. You know I was laughing when I saw Mike Tyson going back to boxing and I said, ‘Ah it’s possible hey!’.

“(Floyd) Mayweather came back, George Foreman came back right? So I don’t know. But yes, it is possible, why not? It’s possible, it’s just that sometimes you’ve got to…I need also to stay humble and contribute, because you know when you go to four (CAF) Champions League finals and you win three.

“And you go to the FIFA Club World Cup and bring bronze medals, third best team in the world two times right? Playing against Bayern and all those (big clubs), the FIFA Club World Cup is the biggest. Also you need to shift, come down and be humble, it’s home now,” he added.

What does the future hold for Cardoso?

While Mosimane made it clear that the job he desires most is the Bafana Bafana role, his Sundowns admission will add an extra layer of pressure on Cardoso if his team does not build on Wednesday’s win.

The Portuguese tactician, whose team moved to within three points of Pirates and with a game in hand, will need to retain the PSL crown and perhaps win the CAF Champions League to be certain of a contract extension beyond this season.

Mosimane enjoyed a trophy-laden eight-year spell at Sundowns between 2012 and 2020, including five PSL titles and the club’s only Champions League crown, before he left for Al Ahly and has since worked in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Iran.