Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has admitted that managing a
squad of such depth and quality presents an exceptionally difficult
challenge, with fan and public expectations often overlooking the
complexities behind his decisions.
Speaking at a Nedbank Cup press conference in Parktown on Monday, Cardoso
emphasized that team selections are influenced by factors not visible from
the outside.
“I think I have a very tough job, very, very tough. Sometimes it is so easy
for people looking from the outside,” Cardoso said. “Everybody that speaks
about South African football is a coach. And most people are not aware of
all the information I have gathered and available to make my decisions.”
He explained that even minor details—such as managing player fitness and
moments within a match—can dictate substitutions and line-ups. “Sometimes
some of the options of the coach are done to manage the moments of different
players. It is very easy to be sitting on a sofa and say I want this, this,
and this one to play—even when they are injured,” he noted.
Cardoso revealed that his own staff sometimes find humour in public demands
for certain players to start, especially when those players are unavailable.
“My assistants joke about some of the things they read. I saw people asking,
‘Why is Mothobi Mvala not playing? The coach doesn’t like Mvala.’
Unfortunately, Mvala is not available for the coach to even think about
him.”
The Portuguese coach also highlighted the difficulty of choosing between
top-tier talents, using the left-back position as an example. He mentioned
Asekho Tiwani, now on loan at Stellenbosch FC, who competed for minutes
alongside Fawaaz Basadien, Aubrey Modiba, Divine Lunga, and Thato Sibiya.
“A boy like Tiwani comes from playing in a World Cup [U-20], and we also had
Thato Sibiya, who was at the same World Cup. At times there are moments of
opportunity,” Cardoso explained. “Thato profited when Aubrey and Divine
returned late from AFCON. We knew Tiwani wanted to play, so we arranged a
loan. Then we had Fawaaz and Thato… It is not easy to take that decision.”
He added that such depth, while a strength, also creates selection
headaches. “It doesn’t mean [Sibiya] will always be lined up in the team,
but he brought more headaches for the coach because it is one more option.
It makes my job very tough.”
With a squad of over 30 players—each capable of starting—Cardoso faces the
relentless task of balancing performance, player satisfaction, and the
demands of a success-hungry fanbase.
