Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has opened up on his side’s sudden rise in form as they continue to challenge for the league title.
The Brazilians endured an inconsistent start to the season, with fluctuating performances in the opening stages that saw them exit both the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout. Those setbacks sparked speculation about a possible departure for Cardoso.
Sundowns also crashed out of the Nedbank Cup, but their form in the league and the CAF Champions League has since improved significantly. They have now won six consecutive league matches, including an important victory over title rivals Orlando Pirates.
Cardoso believes the squad’s unity and positive attitude have been key to their resurgence. He added that the players are working even harder in training than before, which he feels is one of the main reasons behind their improvement.
“If you go back on those press conferences when we spoke about that, probably you’ll find the answers. What we got, we’re stronger, we got players that made us stronger,” said Cardoso.
“We got a good attitude, collective, that is in the direction of the values we have in the locker room. And we are living them and expressing them every day. We are more committed than ever.
“We are more together than ever. We spread love more than ever. We train harder than ever.
“That’s Mamelodi Sundowns and today in the morning, the boys congratulated me for this Coach of the Month award for January and February. And I told them that what I want is the March one.
“And that’s the attitude we have to develop, is look forward. Because what we did in the past is the past and we need to relate with the future. There’s a lot of questions I addressed in the beginning of the season that you just need to go back and look at them and you’ll see that probably we were right.
“The question is how you can continue with the right focus in order to regain and come back for the line we established together.”
Cardoso emphasised that a united locker room has played a key role in their recent victories, but cautioned that they must stay focused, as football can quickly turn in the opposite direction.
“In the morning, I was telling the boys exactly that, look, there’s no coach that exists without a very strong locker room. And everything comes from the boys, from their reaction, from the capacity they have to connect, to be united, to struggle, to fight when they are struggling,” he added.
“And we get energy out of challenges. Sometimes it’s like that, but we need to keep our focus because it can turn around, football turns around. And we need to be very, very committed.”
