Good times at Chloorkop. Mamelodi Sundowns have a CAF Champions League title, an MTN8 trophy and a coach who has just signed a fresh deal. Roger Feutmba, a club legend, thinks Miguel Cardoso has more than earned it.
If you’ve been keeping an eye on the miguel cardoso mamelodi sundowns contract saga, you’ll know the past few months have moved fast. So here’s what happened, who said what, and what the club has its eyes on next.
Why Feutmba Is Backing the Coach
Feutmba used to run the midfield for Masandawana, and he still watches the team closely. After the MTN8 win he sat down with Soccer Laduma and said it plainly: Cardoso deserves the extension.
His reasoning is simple. The club had chased the MTN8 for years. Now it has finally got its hands on it, on top of a continental crown. Feutmba sees the trophies as the answer to anyone still doubting the coach.
“We have to give him credit,” he said. Then he said it again, just to make sure everyone heard.
He didn’t pretend the start was perfect, though. It was a bit rough, he admitted, because fans were used to a different brand of football. And that’s normal. Change is never popular on day one.
The Road to the New Deal
Cardoso walked into Mamelodi Sundowns in December 2024, fresh from Espérance Sportive de Tunis. He knew African football well, which helped.
The league title came in 2025. Then, in May 2026, he topped it by winning the club’s second CAF Champions League, beating Morocco’s AS FAR in the final. Sundowns hadn’t won the continent since 2016. Ten years is a long wait, and you could sense what it meant to the people around the club.
Al Ahly were sniffing around too. That probably sped things up.
How the contract unfolded
His old deal was about to expire at the end of June. Sundowns didn’t wait around. They used an option in the contract and kept him for another season.
According to Cardoso, talks about a bigger deal began the same day. Everything was agreed in the European summer, he said, and he and his staff want to push the project as far as it will go.
What nobody has told us is how long the new contract runs. The club hasn’t made an official announcement, and Cardoso kept the details to himself. You may see a number floating around online, but until the club confirms it, treat it as a rumour.
The point of the whole thing is easy enough to grasp. This miguel cardoso mamelodi sundowns contract gives a winning coach room to work. Plenty of clubs panic and change things too early. Sundowns chose not to.
A Look at the Numbers
Reports from June, when the option was triggered, gave a snapshot of his time at the club.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Matches in charge | 84 |
| Wins | 53 |
| Draws | 19 |
| Defeats | 12 |
| Major trophies | League title (2025), CAF Champions League (2026), MTN8 (2026) |
Remember, those figures are from June, so the count has gone up since. Even so, twelve losses in 84 games is hard to argue with. Hard to see why anyone would want to start over.
The MTN8 Final Against Orlando Pirates
This was the one people circled on the calendar. The final was played at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on 10 October 2026, against Orlando Pirates, the team Sundowns are now trying to catch in the league.
It was also the first cup final between the two since Cardoso took over. Sundowns won it. After a long wait for a domestic cup, that must have felt pretty good.
Now you understand why Feutmba kept going back to it. The club searched for that trophy for ages, and for the fans it filled a gap in the cabinet.
Early Challenges and the Style Debate
Be honest, some supporters weren’t convinced early on. Cardoso inherited a setup that had been built by a coaching team with plenty of success behind it. People asked whether a change was needed at all.
Feutmba doesn’t dodge that question. It wasn’t simple at the start, he said, but results have changed the conversation. Sundowns, he argued, are the best side in Africa right now, and the coach’s role in that is big.
Last season didn’t go all their way, mind you. Orlando Pirates won the league and ended Sundowns’ eight year run as champions. It stung. But two major trophies in the same stretch tells you the team is still heading up, not down.
A Team Effort at Chloorkop
Feutmba made sure the coach wasn’t the only one getting flowers. A project like this needs everybody inside the club working together, he said. The coach carries the headlines because he’s in charge, but the technical team should be congratulated too.
The club has also been busy with its players. Captain Themba Zwane signed on for one more year. Options were taken up on Thapelo Morena, Bathusi Aubaas and Terrence Mashego. Keeping a winning group together sounds easy on paper. Ask any coach and they’ll tell you it’s anything but.
What Comes Next for the Coach
The goal now is to take the league back. Mamelodi Sundowns want the Betway Premiership title off Pirates. If you want to follow the fixtures and results, the Premier Soccer League website has them all.
Feutmba believes they can pull it off. Sundowns are consistent, he said, and the main job is keeping the motivation high. He wants the players to stay focused and keep working, even after a big season.
That’s the danger after winning so much. Teams get comfortable. His advice is to treat every day like there’s still something to prove.
And there’s the continental side too. As African champions, Sundowns will now face a different level of challenge. The CAF website is the place to follow it.
What This Means for Supporters
If you support the club, this is good news. The man who brought home the Champions League is staying, and the club has chosen steady hands over a risky reset. Fans have seen what happens when clubs rush decisions, so this will feel like a relief.
The case for backing Cardoso rests on what he has already won: a league title, a continental crown and now a cup. It also rests on the long term thinking behind the new contract, and on the praise coming from people who know the club well.
No one can promise more trophies. Football doesn’t work like that, and Pirates won’t hand anything over. But the base looks strong.
The Bottom Line
Feutmba’s view boils down to one line. The coach delivered, so back him. The contract says the club agrees.
For Mamelodi Sundowns, the focus now moves to the league. If the squad stays hungry and keeps pulling together, this could be remembered as one of the best spells in the club’s history. Supporters will be hoping Miguel Cardoso has a few more trophies left for Chloorkop.
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