Why Cardoso sees need to ‘reduce the numbers’ in Sundowns’ squad

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has explained the rationale behind the intention to trim the size of his squad for the 2025-26 season and given some idea how that process will pan out.

Fresh from being named Betway Premiership Coach of the Season for steering Sundowns to a record-extending eighth league title in succession in 2024-35, Cardoso then oversaw Downs getting this season off to a clinically efficient start with a 4-0 dispatching of Richards Bay FC in Sunday’s MTN8 quarterfinal.

Afterwards the coach, asked about his stated plan of chopping his squad size, was at pains to stress such a decision and how it will be implemented is a collaborative effort between him, technical director Flemming Berg and the club.

The impressively forthright 53-year-old Portuguese had mostly ups and some relatively excusable though also not uncontroversial downs, given he arrived in December, last campaign. He wrapped up the league, steered Downs to their first Champions League final since winning it in 2016, then made some strange team selections losing there to Pyramids FC, and went toe to toe with giants with some stirring football at the Fifa Club World Cup in the US in June, almost progressing past the group stage.

He said he understands squads in South Africa, given a more packed schedule and that travel for continental football is so much further and more punishing, need to be bigger than in Europe. However he also wants to eliminate, as far as possible, having 10 or more inactive players in his combination.

“It’s the intention to reduce the numbers. And obviously it [the decision] is collegial. We will do it together. And it’s not just my opinion on the need to reduce the size of the squad — it’s our opinion. How we’re going to do it or at which numbers it will end has to do with different aspects.

“We should also understand that in South Africa the squad will never be the same as what we have, for example, in Europe. In Portugal there are usually 22 plus three or four goalkeepers in a squad. Then you have the second team where you can pick players if you need them.

“But we don’t play every three days or four days [in Portugal].

“Here we [Sundowns] have the national team breaks but in-between it’s every week and another week [where you play every three or four days]. So of course the squads here are bigger and that’s a reality I also understood myself from competing in South Africa [with previous teams like Esperance].

“So the squad will definitely be smaller than last year, but it will also not be as small as what we have in Portugal. We need to have enough level of competition so that in case we have an injury to a player or moments where he is not so strong, or a suspension or to manage players from match to match we have to have numbers to cover that, but at the same time we cannot have players who are not used permanently and that means they drop their motivation. That’s the spirit we really don’t want in the club. We want the players to feel they are there and can play regularly.

“That’s the mindset behind the decision to reduce the squad. Let’s see where it will end in terms of numbers but I’m sure by the time you see the squad for this season you will see the drop [in numbers] has happened. And it [the decisions] will be made, of course, between me, the sports director [ Berg] and the club. Because when you talk about clubs there are always contract situations, there are salaries, the evaluation of the level of the players. There’s a lot of things on the table and at stake that we have to consider.”

Three prominent Sundowns stars — Brazilians attacking midfielder Lucas Ribeiro, veteran Namibian striker Peter Shalulile and right-back Khuliso Mudau — were not in the match-18 in the MTN8 game against Bay and are believed to be speaking to other clubs, abroad and in South Africa. Midfielder Neo Maema, defender Keagan Johannes and left-back Terrence Mashego are reportedly set to be loaned out. Midfielders Lebohang Maboe and central Rivaldo Coetzee have been released.

Downs got off to a strong start brushing aside Bay. It was an assignment not without challenges as they had to keep their motivation up after the highs of the Club World Cup and get into stride despite having had three weeks off to rest after returning from the US three weeks ago then returning to training for two weeks.

I remember when we spoke about the Champions League final [before the] match, I said it’s time for the team to give a jump [in level] because usually when you arrive at those kinds of platforms the players excel themselves. Unfortunately it didn’t happen there but did at the CWC. The mindset was the proper one

—  Miguel Cardoso

Cardoso was asked if it presents a challenge returning to domestic football, where Sundowns open their Premiership campaign against Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday (3pm), after the profile of the CWC. Downs beat South Korea’s Ulsan HD 1-0 in Group F, lost 4-3 in a roundly-praised thriller against Borussia Dortmund and drew 1-1 against eventual semi-finalists Fluminense of Brazil.

“You need to understand that, indeed the team had a fantastic performance at Club World Cup in the way the team played and the level we saw,” the coach said.

“But also, as I have said sometimes, when we have spoken about the highest moments of the [2024-25] season it’s when we expect the team to sell itself. It didn’t happen in the Champions League final but did at the CWC.

“I remember when we spoke about the Champions League final [before the] match, I said it’s time for the team to give a jump [in level] because usually when you arrive at those kinds of platforms the players excel themselves. Unfortunately it didn’t happen there but did at the CWC. The mindset was the proper one.

“Obviously what we want is that the team can take the same level throughout the [coming] season, but there are a lot of things that are going to happen and that team that played there [in the US] probably will be difficult to repeat [in performance] so there’s a new story to be written, a new book, or the opening of another chapter in the same book and let’s hope we write that well.

“We started in the right way [against Bay] but there will be a lot of challenges. The PSL is very tough, South Africa is very tough and the Champions League this season will be tough because teams are really reinforcing. I love the challenges — let’s go match by match and see what’s going to happen again.”