South Africans a ‘hell of a people, fantastic country’: can Cardoso finally win over Sundowns fans?

During the time he has been at the helm, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has endured a turbulent relationship with supporters of the club.

He won the Betway Premiership in his first season at Chloorkop after he took over from Manqoba Mngqithi at around the halfway mark, but fans were not entirely happy because of the supposedly unattractive style of play the 53-year-old Portuguese employed.

The trend continued this season. Supporters piled on more pressure because Sundowns struggled in domestic cup competitions and relinquished their eight-in-succession league title streak to rivals Orlando Pirates.

At the heart of the complaints by Downs’ fans was that the team was not playing the attractive ‘shoeshine and piano’ football they are accustomed to.

But Cardoso ended the season with a flourish by winning the Champions League, which is sure to have won him more supporters in a seemingly divided Downs fan base. His future at the club is uncertain despite bringing the prize Downs craved most and adding a second star to the badge after their first Champions League triumph in 2016. Cardoso is set to have talks with club chair Tlhopie Motsepe in the coming weeks.

The coach returned to the country on Monday with the trophy and in some quarters it will surely be enough to make up for losing the league to Pirates. Having delivered the holy grail, though, it remains to be seen if most Sundowns supporters will finally appreciate Cardoso should he stay at the club next season.

Asked on the matter, a diplomatic Cardoso said he has never felt hostility from the supporters.

“I think I spoke a lot during the season about my relationship with South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns supporters,” he said, adding sometimes during matches frustrated supporters expressed themselves, but that was just emotions running high.

“Regarding our fans, I don’t remember one single time where anyone came to me and they didn’t show me love. There were moments during matches, but we should not analyse people on their behaviour inside the stadium. Even myself sometimes I have difficulty controlling myself, my assistant coaches and players on the bench, because it’s emotions.

“Outside, when people become normal human beings, it is amazing the way they relate to me. It is with respect and the intention to speak.

“I always speak to the guy who is putting petrol in my car, the one sitting on the table next to me at the coffee shop and the person who comes to me for a picture. I stop at the traffic lights and open the window to speak to the people. I don’t even want to speak much because I get emotional with some of the friends I have made at traffic lights.

“That’s the human being I am. Because I am mostly in competition, I’m a focused and determined person and I will defend my club until the last drop of my energy and sweat.

“That’s my job and I have to lead because I am not there to do favours for anyone. A leader must manage the moments and implement leadership.”

Cardoso said he is enjoying his time in South Africa.

“I want to state it again clearly that I am an open-minded person. I have worked abroad since 2013 when I went to Ukraine, and most of my career as a coach was abroad.

“I always say I don’t go to work but I go to live and try to embrace the culture, the way of living, the food, the music and everything. That way of relating with the context is what always made me feel loved in South Africa.

“One of the multiple messages my son left me is how he sees in me the person who relates with others with respect. Maybe because of that, sometimes I also speak about things that I think should be better for all of us.”

Cardoso has often spoken controversially about how things are done in the league. He said his statements are made with the aim to improve the situation.

“It is just a matter of understanding myself and how I want to help and nothing more. I just want to finish by saying, you are a hell of a people, fantastic country, and it has been super-exciting to be among you.”