Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has acknowledged the appealing working conditions in North Africa as speculation over a potential switch to Al Ahly intensifies.
The Portuguese tactician recently guided the Brazilians to the 2025/26 CAF Champions League title after years of the continental trophy eluding them. That appeared to offer a reprieve to a side that missed out on all domestic competitions in the just-ended season.
After some relentless Betway Premiership dominance for eight consecutive seasons, Sundowns were dethroned by newly-crowned Betway Premiership champions Orlando Pirates. But claiming the Champions League for the first time after a decade left Masandawana with a bigger trophy to brag about.
It was Cardoso’s third consecutive time reaching the Champions League final. The 54-year-old first encountered disappointment when he lost the decider to Al Ahly while in charge of Esperance during the 2023/24 season.
The following term, having switched to Sundowns, he endured an agonising defeat at the hands of Pyramids FC in the final, before striking the right note by overcoming AS FAR Rabat in the recently-concluded season. Now Cardoso is being linked with a move to Al Ahly.
The Egyptian giants are expected to part ways with Dane Jess Thorup for a new coach, and Cardoso’s name has popped up. However, Masandawana are said to have offered the ex-Celta Vigo a fresh deal, which he is reportedly yet to commit to.
MIGUEL CARDOSO OPENS UP ON ‘THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE’ BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTHERN AFRICAN FOOTBALL
Cardoso is familiar with North African football from his Esperance days, and he makes a confession.
“Both are passionate, and both environments are amazing in terms of fans. Absolutely different and I enjoyed it up there [in North Africa], I have to confess,” Cardoso said on Mamelodi Sundowns Pitchside Podcast.
“I like the aggressive side of the game itself, I like that. I like to be under pressure, the aggression that is put on everybody, but I like the love you receive from the first minute until the end, when you are in South Africa with our fans.
“The biggest difference is that the pattern up there is always as soon as the referee whistles. So the players are always in that mode, especially in the Champions League competition.
“Here [in South Africa], we also have to develop that attitude, and I think that now we have that on mode also in the Champions League, and that was very clear, especially in the semi-final and the final. Knowing how to play the Champions League is very important.
“Champions League is a very particular competition. There is a way to play it. It is not a matter of always not being beautiful because it can always be beautiful, but it is a capacity to overcome difficulties.
“The capacity to understand how to play against different teams and always be committed to the details because details will make you play or make you win.”
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