Latest news with #Cardoso
The Star
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Mamelodi Sundowns hope for upset in key clash against Borussia Dortmund
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group F - Ulsan HD v Mamelodi Sundowns - Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida, U.S. - June 17, 2025 Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso after the match IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Nathan Ray Seebeck/File Photo CINCINNATI, OH (Reuters) -South African club Mamelodi Sundowns are hoping a perfect storm on Saturday hands them a chance of success against heavily fancied Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund when the two meet at the Club World Cup. Sundowns, who were runners-up in the African Champions League earlier this month, sit on top of Group F after beating South Korean side Ulsan HD 1-0 in their opening game but expect to be on the back foot for Saturday's clash at the TQL Stadium. For coach Miguel Cardoso, however, an upset result is possible even if the odds are slim. 'Upsets can happen when the mental conviction of the team is strong and their emotional connection is so strong that magic can happen,' he told a press conference on Friday. 'And that's what I will try to create as an ambiance in the team; ambition, conviction, determination and the right emotion to play such a game and produce a good result.' But Cardoso expects that his side, who enjoyed the lion's share of possession in a dominant performance in their opening game, will not see much of the ball. 'We're going to play against a team that is very aggressive. It's a team that scores 40% of their goals from counter pressings.' It will be an unusual situation for Sundowns, who dominate their domestic competition with a possession-heavy approach and are also a strong force in African continental competition. 'We won't be used to not having the ball much and obviously that will require us to be resilient and keep organised, even when you are just waiting for the moment to get the ball again,' Cardoso added. Sundowns are the only African side with a win at the tournament. 'We are very proud of that. What has happened now is that we have opened up a chance for ourselves and turned dreams into objectives," said Cardoso. 'But we know what we have ahead and it won't be easy.' Sundowns' last group game will be against Brazilian side Fluminense next Wednesday. (Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Mamelodi Sundowns hope for upset in key clash against Borussia Dortmund
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group F - Ulsan HD v Mamelodi Sundowns - Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida, U.S. - June 17, 2025 Mamelodi Sundowns' Iqraam Rayners celebrates scoring their first goal with Arthur REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group F - Ulsan HD v Mamelodi Sundowns - Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida, U.S. - June 17, 2025 Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso after the match IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Nathan Ray Seebeck/File Photo REUTERS CINCINNATI, OH - South African club Mamelodi Sundowns are hoping a perfect storm on Saturday hands them a chance of success against heavily fancied Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund when the two meet at the Club World Cup. Sundowns, who were runners-up in the African Champions League earlier this month, sit on top of Group F after beating South Korean side Ulsan HD 1-0 in their opening game but expect to be on the back foot for Saturday's clash at the TQL Stadium. For coach Miguel Cardoso, however, an upset result is possible even if the odds are slim. 'Upsets can happen when the mental conviction of the team is strong and their emotional connection is so strong that magic can happen,' he told a press conference on Friday. 'And that's what I will try to create as an ambiance in the team; ambition, conviction, determination and the right emotion to play such a game and produce a good result.' But Cardoso expects that his side, who enjoyed the lion's share of possession in a dominant performance in their opening game, will not see much of the ball. 'We're going to play against a team that is very aggressive. It's a team that scores 40% of their goals from counter pressings.' It will be an unusual situation for Sundowns, who dominate their domestic competition with a possession-heavy approach and are also a strong force in African continental competition. 'We won't be used to not having the ball much and obviously that will require us to be resilient and keep organised, even when you are just waiting for the moment to get the ball again,' Cardoso added. Sundowns are the only African side with a win at the tournament. 'We are very proud of that. What has happened now is that we have opened up a chance for ourselves and turned dreams into objectives," said Cardoso. 'But we know what we have ahead and it won't be easy.' Sundowns' last group game will be against Brazilian side Fluminense next Wednesday. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Soccer-Mamelodi Sundowns hope for upset in key clash against Borussia Dortmund
By Mark Gleeson HT Image CINCINNATI, OH, June 20 (Reuters) - South African club Mamelodi Sundowns are hoping a perfect storm on Saturday hands them a chance of success against heavily fancied Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund when the two meet at the Club World Cup. Sundowns, who were runners-up in the African Champions League earlier this month, sit on top of Group F after beating South Korean side Ulsan HD 1-0 in their opening game but expect to be on the back foot for Saturday's clash at the TQL Stadium. For coach Miguel Cardoso, however, an upset result is possible even if the odds are slim. 'Upsets can happen when the mental conviction of the team is strong and their emotional connection is so strong that magic can happen,' he told a press conference on Friday. 'And that's what I will try to create as an ambiance in the team; ambition, conviction, determination and the right emotion to play such a game and produce a good result.' But Cardoso expects that his side, who enjoyed the lion's share of possession in a dominant performance in their opening game, will not see much of the ball. 'We're going to play against a team that is very aggressive. It's a team that scores 40% of their goals from counter pressings.' It will be an unusual situation for Sundowns, who dominate their domestic competition with a possession-heavy approach and are also a strong force in African continental competition. 'We won't be used to not having the ball much and obviously that will require us to be resilient and keep organised, even when you are just waiting for the moment to get the ball again,' Cardoso added. Sundowns are the only African side with a win at the tournament. 'We are very proud of that. What has happened now is that we have opened up a chance for ourselves and turned dreams into objectives," said Cardoso. 'But we know what we have ahead and it won't be easy.' Sundowns' last group game will be against Brazilian side Fluminense next Wednesday. (Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
IOL News
a day ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Why Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso chose Themba Zwane in Fifa Club World Cup opener
Mamelodi Sundowns veteran Themba Zwane was included in the starting XI for the Club World Cup opener against Ulsan. Photo: AFP Image: AFP Following Mamelodi Sundowns' 1-0 win over Ulsan HD in their Fifa Club World Cup opener this week, coach Miguel Cardoso went to great lengths to explain the inclusion of veteran playmaker Themba Zwane in the starting XI. This was the first time that Zwane had started a match since the Portuguese mentor Cardoso arrived at Sundowns. For the greater part of Cardoso's stewardship at the Brazilians, Zwane was recovering from an injury sustained in October 2024 while on Bafana Bafana duty. The national team stalwart returned to action in April 2025, four months after Cardoso's appointment in mid-December last year. There was a massive outcry from Sundowns' supporters after Cardoso left the 35-year-old Zwane on the bench in both legs of the CAF Champions League final, which they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Pyramids three weeks ago. There were suggestions that Zwane was the missing creative force in the Masandawana midfield that could have unlocked the North African side's defence. Zwane's absence from that high-stakes encounter raised a chorus of questions about his future role in the squad, and since then, Cardoso has been repeatedly asked questions about his plans for the fan favourite, affectionately known as 'Mshishi'. This subject again came to the fore in Florida on Tuesday evening during the post-match press conference. When the veteran playmaker Zwane was named in the run-on XI, it seemed Cardoso had finally yielded to fan pressure. 'It seems people didn't understand that Themba came from an injury on a process of growth since the moment he re-entered the team and trained fully," said Cardoso. 'It's important to give him the right opportunity so that he can perform. 'There's no influence from the past. The pressure on me comes from inside the club, and is from my board and my players. 'That's the pressure a coach will have when he settles into a career like mine. 'What happened is that Themba made a hell of a two-week preparation, and that is the respect we need to have. People spoke a lot about that (Zwane's lack of playing time). "I had no problems putting him in, even having the risk of letting people think I'm putting him in because of pressure." It seemed that Zwane's impressive two-week preparation leading up to the game was the deciding factor that led Cardoso to choose him. Cardoso's faith in Zwane paid off, as his inclusion not only silenced critics, but also showcased the squad's depth and tactical flexibility in the win against Ulsan HD. Coupled with the balance Zwane brought in midfield, it underlined why his experience and skill are indispensable to Sundowns' ambitions on the world stage. Cardoso will hope that Zwane can again be an influential figure in their next Club World Cup fixture, against German giants Borussia Dortmund on Saturday (6pm SA time kick-off) at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati.
The South African
2 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Cardoso vs Rulani: Who had a better run after 32 games?
Mamelodi Sundowns have had to make coaching changes four times since the departure of Pitso Mosimane in 2020. When Mosimane left for Al Ahly, Sundowns appointed both Rulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi as co-coaches. The arrangement lasted until October 2022 when Mokwena was appointed as stand alone coach by Sundowns with Mngqithi as his assistant. And he did extremely well during his tenure until he was sacked at the end of the 2023-24 season for failure to win the CAF Champions League. Mngqithi then took over but he was replaced by Miguel Cardoso in December 2024 in what came as a surprise. Now, Cardoso has been in charge of 32 official matches, and The South African takes a look at how he compares to Mokwena so far. This on the back of Cardoso steering Sundowns to their first ever FIFA World Cup win over Ulsan HD on Tuesday amid huge criticism from the club fans. Some fans still believe Mokwena was a better coach than Cardoso while others are on the side of the Portuguese mentor. Rulani Mokwena was replaced by Manqoba Mngqithi before Miguel Cardoso joined Sundowns. Image: Mamelodi Sundowns To date, Cardoso has been in charge of 32 games for Sundowns so far. He has won 23, drawn FIVE and lost FOUR. Mokwena, after 32 games as Sundowns coach, had won 22, drawn NINE and lost just ONCE. Overall, Mokwena left Sundowns having coached in 91 competitive matches. He won 60, drew 22 and lost NINE. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
