Miguel Cardoso, the newly appointed head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, has responded to questions regarding his limited trophy success throughout his career, following his appointment as the new manager for the Brazilians on Tuesday, succeeding Manqoba Mngqithi.

At 52 years old, Cardoso embarked on his coaching career in 1993 at the age of 21 with Espinho [youth] in Portugal. Since then, the former manager of Espérance Sportive de Tunis has only captured one piece of silverware—a league title with Espérance last season.

During his presentation as Sundowns’ head coach on Tuesday, he highlighted that coaching encompasses many elements beyond just winning trophies, encouraging a reevaluation of how coaches are judged based solely on their accolades.

“This discussion is undeniably interesting because we live in a society and a sport where people evaluate CVs by the trophies acquired,” Cardoso remarked.

“However, they frequently forget that winning often requires a favorable context that allows for authentic competition. Furthermore, sometimes success doesn’t mean walking away with trophies.

“For instance, I have recorded four to five significant victories in major competitions yet ended up without any trophies. I refer to experiences such as the U19 Youth League with Shakhtar Donetsk, the Europa League with Braga, and reaching the CAF Champions League final with Espérance.

“Participating in those finals is a remarkable accomplishment. When reviewing my CV, consider not only the final results of the matches but also the achievements throughout the journey. I understand that society measures success by the trophies achieved. When I went to Tunisia, I encountered challenges but ultimately became the champion of Tunisia, despite the club’s circumstances at that time.

“The club was grappling with difficulties but still reached the Champions League group stages, driven by our belief in our potential, which propelled us forward.

“When assessing a club or a coach, it is essential to take into account various factors, such as the number of players developed during my time at Shakhtar Donetsk. Numerous players from that era are now internationally recognized, including Luka Modric and Oleksandr Zinchenko, among others.”

Cardoso and his coaching team engaged with the Sundowns players during their first training session on Wednesday. His first test will be against the Moroccan giants Raja Club Athletic during matchday 3 of the CAF Champions League group stage, scheduled to take place at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday.

At present, the Brazilians occupy second place in Group B, having earned only two points from two matches, a situation that contributed to the decision to part ways with Mngqithi.

Against Raja, the team will aim to secure their first win of the season in the Champions League group stage.