Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso’s new contract details have been revealed. FARPost has established that Cardoso’s new contract with Sundowns runs until June 2028 and includes an improved remuneration package.
The Portuguese coach recently confirmed he had signed a new deal but did not disclose its duration. Sundowns have also not made any announcement regarding the new contract.
The former Esperance coach addressed his future ahead of the recent MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium, saying negotiations had concluded during the off-season.
After Cardoso secured the second star for the club, FARPost reported that Downs exercised an option in his previous contract and that the two parties had begun discussions on a new agreement.
“The club at the time had an option they executed, but we at the same time on the same day started discussing a new contract,” Cardoso told journalists at Chloorkop. “The technical staff is very happy to be in the club, the club is showing happiness in having us, so we changed the terms we had.”
Those negotiations resulted in improved financial terms and a commitment until June 2028, extending his stay at Chloorkop after a successful second campaign.
He joined Sundowns in December 2024, replacing Manqoba Mngqithi, and won the league title and reached the CAF Champions League final in his first season. In his second season, he ended the club’s decade-long wait for a second continental crown.
SHARED VISION BEHIND CARDOSO’S NEW DEAL
The 54-year-old mentor said the decision to extend his stay reflected a shared footballing vision between his technical team and the club’s management.
“It’s clear that both the club and myself share the same values in terms of how we see football,” he said. “And yes, we have a long-term contract, that we as coaches want, to take it to the limit.”
The former Esperance coach added that the agreement reflects the strength of that relationship and provides stability as Sundowns look to build on their continental success.
“And it’s not important, the paper, the commitment is important. The commitment is very strong from both sides,” he added “It’s just a sign that we share values and that makes everyone happy and gives stability. We’re happy.”
Sundowns chairman Tlhopie Motsepe recently opened up about why they stuck with the coach after they lost the CAF Champions League final to Pyramids.
“The important factor was the feeling I had, to say, ‘Can we really release somebody in a short space, in this bumpy period… He took us to the final of the CAF Champions League [in 2025], which we had not been to for the past nine years. Do we let go of somebody who allowed our players to express themselves?” Motsepe said in an interview on the club’s official YouTube Channel.
WHY SUNDOWNS KEPT CARDOSO AFTER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL DEFEAT
“And to play with such bravery at the [FIFA] Club World Cup, if we’re just going through this period right now?’ Football is a passion-driven business; we live and die by the passion of the game. We’re all in this game because of passion, but it’s very important sometimes to be able to remove yourself and assess the bigger picture.
“If we had let go of Coach Miguel at that time, who knows if we would have got the Champions League or the [FIFA] African-Asian Pacific Cup. What I did believe in at that time was the fact that there were elements that we saw at the Club World Cup, that just showed us a Shoeshine and Piano, the Mamelodi Sundowns that was touching something we had not really touched or embodied before,” Motsepe added.
Meanwhile, the Brazilians return to action on Tuesday night when they visit Richards Bay FC for their Betway Premiership encounter. The match, which kicks off at 19h30 at the Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban, comes just a few days after Cardoso guided the club to an MTN8 crown.
Masandawana will be eager to maintain pole position when they face 14th-placed Natal Rich Boyz, who have yet to win a match this season. The KZN side recently appointed a new coach Dimitar Nikolaev Pantev, who replaced Ronnie Gabriel.
RELATED STORY: Miguel Cardoso issues pre-match plea to MTN8 final officials
