Cardoso spreads his appreciation in Champions League success remarks...

For all the years that Miguel Cardoso will have his name archived at Mamelodi Sundowns for bringing the second star to the club, he has chosen not to take the path of personal glory.

Matchday Global26 May 2026

Share this story

Miguel Cardoso has showered gratitude to all reporting at Mamelodi Sundowns’ base in Chloorkop in his appreciation speech after lifting the CAF Champions League.

Cardoso has delivered the most desired silverware – only won by Pitso Mosimane before – doing so in his first full season at Sundowns.

READ: Intel on Ouaddou’s season of overachievement at Pirates

The Portuguese lost the 2024/25 Champions League final just six months after joining The Brazilians who had been struggling to reach the decider since their 2016 success.

It has taken him 24 games in the Champions League to deliver the trophy which comes with USD6 million (approx. R98 million) plus tickets to the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup, 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, 2026 CAF Super Cup plus top place in the CAF 5-year rankings.

Cardoso’s Champions League journey at Sundowns has come with 11 wins, nine draws, and four defeats.

"It is a real pleasure in the middle of ups and downs that we have a chance in the end to win the most desirable trophy," said Cardoso in his remarks in the early hours of Tuesday at OR Tambo.

"I represent all the technical staff, all the staff in general, all the people that work at Chloorkop, all the ones that have faces but are not public because the most anonymous people at Chloorkop are as important as myself.

"We live in such small margins that the work of everybody is really important.

"The season was long, hard, a lot of demands on us, a lot of demands on myself and everybody around," says Cardoso.

"My technical staff was amazing in the way they showed commitment.

"We were submitted to something that I would never expect as the coaching staff in terms of demand and volume of work that we had to put on in order to give answers to everything that we had to face.

"To the medical staff, all the kitmen, people in the kitchen, people who take care of the pitch, security, press department…all the departments at the club.

READ: Loaded off-season for Chiefs keeper

"I cannot go forward without mentioning our first day when the chairman (Tlhopie Motsepe) presented me to the players, and he said, ‘This is the coach to take us to the Holy Land’.

"It is here (pointing to the CAF Champions League trophy).

"It is absolutely amazing to accomplish that desire," says Cardoso.