Cardoso feels his work not truly appreciated

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has implied he feels the work he's done at the club since joining last December isn't appreciated enough externally.

“It's important that people recognise what we've done and what we've been doing in this league. We took the team to a high, high level. The team isn't only playing fantastically but beating records after records,'' Cardoso said post their 3-0 thumping of Stellenbosch at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday.

“Let's give credit to who deserves it because when I arrived there was suspicion [that he'd fail], and now please just respect the work we've been doing.”

Cardoso agreed that his predecessor, Manqoba Mngqithi, also deserves a share of credit, revealing he paid homage to him in person when Sundowns played his new team, Golden Arrows, in Durban in March.

“People are saying I arrived in the middle of the season, no! I didn't arrive in the middle of the season. I arrived with only one third of the season played, so with all due respect to coach Manqoba and the work he did, that was important obviously, I think it's clear for everybody to see where we were and where we stand now,'' the Sundowns coach stated.

“Obviously, it was important to pick the team from the [top] position they were and that's the credit I give to him [Mngqithi] and I told him personally when we played him.”

Cardoso has won 16 of the 19 league games he's been in charge of Sundowns after replacing Mngqithi seven games into the Premiership campaign, with two defeats and a single draw.

The Portuguese is a point away from guiding the Tshwane giants to their eighth successive championship with two games to spare, while they're also in the CAF Champions League final, where they'll face Pyramids of Egypt over two legs.

Sundowns are odds on to officially clinch the league title when they face Chippa United in their penultimate league game at Buffalo City Municipality tomorrow (7.30pm).

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