Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has recalled the early stages of his tenure with Masandawana where doubts were cast upon his capabilities.
The Portuguese tactician took the reins midway through the season after coach Manqoba Mngqithi was sacked following an inconsistent start to the campaign.
This past weekend saw Cardoso lift his first silverware in the PSL, winning the Betway Premiership with the Tshwane giants, as they secured their eighth successive league title.
He says his trophy pedigree was questioned when he joined the club. He further stated that those who doubted him failed to acknowledge the experience he possessed that would prove valuable to Sundowns.
CARDOSO ON HIS DOUBTERS AFTER WINNING THE LEAGUE
“People having doubts on me was never a problem. They were not attentive to myself or where I came from,” said Cardoso.
“16 years ago, I played a UEFA Europa League final as an assistant coach at [Sporting] Braga against FC Porto. So I’ve gone a long way before I arrived at Sundowns.
“But people didn’t pay attention to that, they went back and asked, ‘How many trophies has he won?’
“Many coaches that are even better than me will never even win a trophy because they have never been in a place where winning is possible, but they have won many other things.
“We lost the final with Braga against Porto, but go back and look at which teams we defeated before we reached the final. Liverpool, Dynamo Kyiv, Sevilla, Celtic Glasgow, Benfica, Arsenal, and we lost 1-0 against Porto at the end.
“That trophy, I don’t have. Look at our journey before the final, so on that day, I wasn’t happy, but I was not a loser, I was a winner. I’m still proud.”
Cardoso will have another opportunity to add to his trophy collection with Sundowns as they are set to take on Pyramids FC in the CAF Champions League final.
The first-leg will be on Saturday, 24 May at Loftus Versfeld Stadium before the return tie is staged at 30 June Stadium on 1 June.
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