'I think it was fair for us to win, and we deserved to take the trophy,' Cardoso said.
Miguel Cardoso, coach of Mamelodi Sundowns celebrates at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has urged his players to remain humble after lifting the MTN8 trophy with a 2-0 victory over Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday night.
Sundowns’ second trophy already
Goals from Teboho Mokoena and Iqraam Rayners sealed the win for the Brazilians, who claimed their second trophy of the 2026/27 season following their triumph in the FIFA African-Asian Pacific Cup before the international break.
Despite adding more silverware to Sundowns’ collection, Cardoso insists his players must remain grounded, with several challenges still ahead as they look to maintain their dominance on the domestic and continental fronts.
Speaking after the final in Durban, the Portuguese coach acknowledged the difficulty of overcoming Pirates but maintained that his side deserved to lift the trophy.
“I think in the end we could have had a better result, but it was a difficult victory and we have respect for our opponents and what they do on the pitch,” he said.
“I think it was fair for us to win, and we deserved to take the trophy, something we defined at the beginning of the season and now looking ahead, it’s important to remain humble.”
Sundowns have enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, having beaten Al-Ahli Saudi 2-1 to win the FIFA Intercontinental Cup last month.
The MTN8 success represents another early-season milestone for Cardoso’s charges, but the coach was quick to remind his players that there is still plenty of work to be done.
“We have a match to respect in two days’
“It’s not that you collect two medals in October that you should be happy,” the Portuguese coach added.
“Well, we should be happy of course, but we have to be humble enough to know that we have a match to respect in two days and the qualifying round of the CAF Champions League to be played next weekend.”
With the Carling Knockout set to be launched on Wednesday, Sundowns face a demanding schedule that includes CAF Champions League commitments and Betway Premiership fixtures.
Cardoso believes maintaining focus and unity will be crucial as the Tshwane giants continue their pursuit of more trophies.
“Carling Knockout is starting soon and there are a lot of things ahead. The players need to keep the focus and trust each other and values we have developed,” Cardoso concluded.
“That’s because it puts us closer to winning more and more to remain ambitious. That’s how you can continue to assert yourself in a difficult country where there is difficult competition at a high level.”
