Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has quashed any notion that he lost the backing of his squad at any point this season.
During the run of inconsistent Sundowns performances that saw them eliminated from the Carling Knockout Cup and Nedbank Cup and on the brink of a CAF Champions League exit, things appeared dire for Cardoso’s prospects, with sections of supporters turning on the coach.
There were also rumours surfacing of losing the support of the squad with the perceptions of not being able to inspire a turnaround in results, which Cardoso has come out to deny.
With the likes of Jayden Adams and Marcelo Allende dropping to the bench and returning in renewed form and several of their key first team stars now back to their best, optimism is again brimming they could win the league and CAF Champions League this season.
“I have to confess to you I never felt there was any kind of losses in terms of managing the locker-room, obviously when you don’t win here and there, the emotions are not the same as when we are together [and in good spirits] but we have memories,” Cardoso said.
“We know what we have done in the past and as a I told you, we lost two cups on penalties, that unfortunately didn’t give us trophies and I repeat, in one of them there was not even one entry in our box or shot at our goal.
“But that’s football, of course that is difficult to raise on the next day when you lose trophies like that, but the players know very well the direction they want to go and people in the club help us, keeping us united.”
Cardoso suggested there was external factors that created disharmony, which has since been addressed, which can be seen in their run of six consecutive league wins to put them firmly in contention for the league with a title-race alongside Orlando Pirates.
“The doors of Chloorkop are very strong, what happens outside is outside, what happens inside is another story. I think there was a lot of manipulation regarding a lot of things, a lot of manipulation… you always saw me being very calm,” he continued.
“I don’t wanna go back on the questions that came in the beginning of the season, it was not easy for us, it was very tough, but you can find those answers in the past. We had to fight back, fight for everything and try and go forward together in the best emotions.
“Keeping belief, giving energy to our fans, our supporters, to the people we love, the ones who cheer with us, trying to put away the bad interferences on us. Because it’s always like that you know, people try to take advantage from the moments and obviously if they felt they could find bridges to enter us and touch it.
“But we showed we’re courageous with backbone, and we handled it, in football you just need to think about tomorrow, whatever we did five or six matches ago, we don’t look back, I just know we have to play ORBIT on Tuesday and that’s the challenge we have.
“From there we see what we have ahead, but for now? ORBIT. Nobody in the locker-room is thinking about more than the match against ORBIT, believe me… nobody. By the way? We have a friendly match [on Thursday] so they players who didn’t play, are ready.
“Not only for that match, because I don’t know who will play but for everything ahead and I’m pretty sure they will make a helluva match because I know the character the boys have and then we go for rest, one day. Try to re-energise a bit, enjoy the family, enjoy the free time. Enjoy some of the things that life of a football player doesn’t really provide, at least from the frequency they’d like to have but it’s an opportunity.
“But then we gather again to prepare for the ORBIT match and until then there’s nothing more in the head of these players and the victory of that match.”
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