Miguel Cardoso Speaks on Pressures in Football Amid Pitso Mosimane's Comments on Returning to Mamelodi Sundowns

Miguel Cardoso has overlooked the recent talk about Pitso Mosimane returning to Mamelodi Sundowns as he addressed major issues.

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has offered a dose of perspective on the pressures of football, stating that his role is a privilege and that real hardship lies outside the sport amid Pitso Mosimane links to his role.

His comments came after Mamelodi Sundowns secured a crucial 2-1 victory over rivals Orlando Pirates in a DStv Premiership clash at FNB Stadium on Wednesday evening.

When asked if the win had eased the pressure on him, Miguel Cardoso was quick to downplay the notion.

Miguel Cardoso Overlooks Pitso Mosimane Pressure as He Outlines Bigger Problems in the Sport

"I always tell that to my people, to my coaches, to my players. Come on guys, we live in a country where people fight a lot to have food to put on the table. That is pressure, forget the rest," Cardoso told the media post-match, as quoted by Soccer Laduma.

The Portuguese coach described his position at one of Africa's biggest clubs as a fortunate one. This comes amid recent scrutiny from some Mamelodi Sundowns supporters over the team's style of play and persistent rumours linking former coach Pitso Mosimane with a return to the club.

However, following the vital midweek win, Miguel Cardoso stressed the importance of maintaining a balanced perspective through the highs and lows of a season.

"In the good moments, we should not step on the toes, but also in the moments that are not so good, we should not be on the ankles because football is like that," he explained. "It's not now because we won two matches that it's fantastic... My life will be absolutely the same."

Cardoso shared that football results do not alter his daily routine, illustrating his consistent approach regardless of on-field outcomes.

"I will go home, sleep in the same bed. Tomorrow wake up, have the same breakfast... Prepare for the next match," he said. "The routine is the same, it never changes."

While acknowledging that the mood in the dressing room is naturally better after a win, the 53-year-old pointed out that his team has not suffered many defeats this season.

"Unfortunately, the biggest losses we had this season were on penalties," he noted, referring to cup exits against Pirates and Marumo Gallants. "With Marumo, they didn't have one single shot on our goal. But we stood up, we continued to believe, and that's what we are going to do."

Looking ahead, Cardoso emphasized his focus on hard work and instilling belief in his entire squad, knowing that every player will be needed.

"To survive is to believe and work as best as we can," he concluded. "Players that today were not even on the bench will be so important, probably already on Saturday. We just hope that they can stand up and be on the level of the challenges that we have."

Next up, Mamelodi Sundowns will face TS Galaxy in the Nedbank Cup on Saturday at Solomon Mahlangu Stadium, with kick-off at 3:00 PM.