Mamelodi Sundowns brought in Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso in December to replace Manqoba Mngqithi after starting their CAF Champions League group stage campaign with two draws.
Cardoso was hired to try and inject new life into a Sundowns team that had been winning but not doing it in style.
It is interesting that Mngqithi was sacked with the Brazilians top of the table but his football was considered not good enough and Cardoso was seen as the man to make the Brazilians play a swashbuckling style.
However, it has not been easy for the new coach to change things straight away even though he has started with four straight wins. So, what has been observed from Cardoso’s nearly one month in charge?
Emphasis on solid defence
Cardoso has built on from what Mngqithi left, ensuring the Brazilians still remained tight at the back, and he has done it brilliantly, keeping clean sheets in all his four wins.
Some might say that has come at a cost as Sundowns are not scoring many but the new coach seems to have decided to build a solid base at the back as he works on other areas of the team going forward.
Limited chance creation
While Sundowns are not opened up easily, they have not been carving opponents open at will also.
The days when they were scoring four, five goals look a distant memory, at least for now, as their chance creation has significantly reduced, and in the four matches under Cardoso, they have managed four shots on target in just one.
Brazilian playmaker Lucas Ribeiro’s numbers have gone down and Sundowns can hardly replace him now given chief creator Themba Zwane is out with a long-term injury.
Over reliance on Rayners
With the limited chances created, Sundowns have relied on moments of brilliance to win matches and Cardoso will be thankful that he arrived when Iqraam Rayners was on form.
The striker was the match winner in his first three matches, all won 1-0, before Ribeiro and Arthur Sales got on target in their final match of 2024.
Cardoso has said that needs to change but it can only happen if the supporting cast are firing on all cylinders, but so far they have not.
Improvements in attacking set-pieces
One key area that the Portuguese coach has quickly worked on is how Sundowns take and attack set-pieces.
Their routine in their 1-0 win over AmaZulu was straight from the training ground and the coach later admitted they had worked on it as he is trying to encourage his players to take set-pieces seriously.
It can act as an extra weapon for Sundowns going forward now that it is proving difficult to create many chances in open play.
Camaraderie in camp
Cardoso also moved with speed to ensure he got everyone on board after Mngqithi appeared to have alienated some members of the squad.
Khuliso Mudau and Teboho Mokoena being frozen from the squad early in the season did not go down well with some but Cardoso has ensured everyone starts on a clean slate.
The togetherness was on full display when the players and technical bench went to celebrate their late winner against AmaZulu with goalkeeper Ronwen Williams who had been sent off earlier in the game.
