'We need to continue to produce results and we can't wait too long for players to perform,' he said.
Miguel Cardoso coach of Mamelodi Sundowns during the 2026 MTN8 Press Conference. ©Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Mamelodi Sundowns might still be riding on the tag of being African champions, but their head coach Miguel Cardoso knows they need to start winning matches convincingly to appease their fans.
Unconvincing Sundowns
The Brazilians have endured an unconvincing start to the new season, with injuries forcing Cardoso to rotate his squad more than he would have liked. Their shortcomings were exposed in the 1-0 loss to Golden Arrows in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-final at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday.
Sundowns have a chance to redeem themselves on Wednesday when they face AmaZulu in a Betway Premiership clash before turning their attention to the second leg against Arrows at the weekend.
Cardoso reflected on their start to the new season after suffering defeat in the top eight competition in front of their home fans.
“There are a lot of things that will still appear from this team. It’s important that we understand that rotation needs to happen for a few players, but the stability of having players that will give us consistency,” he said.
“We need to continue to produce results and we can’t wait too long for players to perform. It’s important that they understand this. We’re trying to do our best together so that we can find that stability.
“Let’s hope the injuries don’t stay permanently around us but we also had in the past the capacity to change three or four players and still be consistent.”
Part of Cardoso’s dilemma has been injuries to key players such as Teboho Mokoena, Keanu Cupido, Khulumani Ndamane and Khuliso Mudau. The Portuguese coach explained the complexities of having to reshuffle his line-up in such a short space of time, with games coming in thick and fast.
‘They must understand the moment’
“It has been difficult to find a consistent line-up as you might imagine that playing every 3 to 4 days that you might need to change players,” Cardoso concluded.
“What we need is players that get opportunities, they must understand the moment. They must give their best so that we can consistently rotate from our side and have good answers, that’s what we’re looking for.”
There’s no rest for the Tshwane giants who will now look to put their Arrows disappointment behind them when they host AmaZulu. A victory is crucial as they aim to regain momentum before the MTN8 semi-final return leg.
