Mamelodi Sundowns have announced the appointment of Miguel Cardoso as the new head coach to take over from Manqoba Mngqithi.
Mngqithi’s last match was the 1-1 draw against AS FAR in the CAF Champions League on Saturday.
Sundowns are second in Group B with two points from their opening two matches. They are also at the top of the Betway Premiership after eight games.
The club announced Miguel Cardoso during a media briefing at Chloorkop on Tuesday. According to Transfermarket, Miguel Cardoso is a 52-year-old Portuguese coach. He began his career as a youth coach in his native Portugal.
He has also worked at FC Porto as a youth and fitness coach. This was before he worked as an assistant coach to clubs Belenenses, SC Braga and Sporting CP. Cardoso was an Academy manager at Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine.
He also had stints as manager at clubs such as Celta Vigo and AEK Athens. Until recently, Cardoso was head coach at Tunisian side Esperance, where Bafana Bafana winger Elias Mokwana plied his trade.
He won the league title with the Tunisian giants and also qualified them for the FIFA Club World Cup.
Cardoso joins Sundowns with three of his assistants, Fabio Fernandes, Pedro Azevedo and João Araújo. The new technical team will also comprise of Steve Komphela and Kennedy Mweene who have both remained.
The club has announced that Mngqithi, Wendell Robinson and Romain Folz will have no other role in the team mobbing forward.
“Mamelodi Sundowns is thankful to Manqoba Mngqithi and Wendell Robinson for their loyal services to the club over the years and wishes them everything of the best in their new endeavours,” read a statement from the club.
“Manqoba Mngqithi and Wendell Robinson will forever remain part of the Mamelodi Sundowns Family. Mamelodi Sundowns is also thankful to Romain Folz who recently joined the club.”
