African Football: Mamelodi Sundowns appoints Miguel Cardoso as new head coach after sacking Manqoba Mgqithi

The Brazilians have drawn their first two games of the CAF Champions League much to the surprise of the connoisseurs of African football.

Although Sundowns are sitting on top of the Betway Premiership, the fans and the hierarchy have not been happy with the team under Manqoba Mgqithi’s guidance in the current campaign.

The club did not think twice when appointing Mgqithi as the man to replace Rulani Mokwena in the summer. They believed he knew the system, so he was the obvious choice, but things have not gone well as expected.

Mamelodi Sunwons has lost four games in all competitions thus far this season. Stellenbosch won home and away in the MTN 8 Cup, Polokwane won in the Betway Premiership, and newly promoted side Magesi shockingly lifted the Carling Knockout trophy by beating the Masandawana 2-1.

Results have been so shambolic as the club has not been used to such situations in recent years when the team was under Rulani Mokwena.

On Tuesday morning, the club announced the appointment of Portuguese manager Miguel Cardoso.

Miguel Cardoso, 52, is an experienced manager who has seen it all from youth coaching to assistant to main manager. He has worked in Portugal, France, Spain, and Greece as the main manager for teams like Rio Ave, Nantes, Celta Vigo, and AEK Athens in Europe.

Cardoso’s first work outside Europe was when he replaced Tarek Thabet as the manager of Esperance du Tunis in January 2024 leading the club to the finals of the 2023-24 CAF Champions League.

Mamelodi Sundowns confirmed his appointment on X, “Mamelodi Sundowns today has announced the appointment of Miguel De Azevedo Cardoso as the new Head Coach of the Club with immediate effect”.

Miguel Cardoso has signed a two-and-half year deal for the South African giants, per sources, and he is expected to challenge for the CAF Champions League title and lead them to the much-awaited FIFA Club World Cup next summer in the USA.