Miguel Cardoso expects a grueling domestic campaign for Mamelodi Sundowns

This season’s Carling Knockout campaign will be no exception. 

Addressing members of the media in a press conference to build up to their first-round game against Marumo Gallants this coming weekend, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says it’s important for the supporters to understand that other teams want to topple them.

He says the results of this season so far are clear that they are in for a tough season.

"I've also been passing some messages, positive,  of involvement of gathering around the team to the fans. The fans of Mamelodi Sundowns used to win a lot in the past decade, let's say,” Cardoso said.

“A lot of championships won in a row, aiming to go back on the Champions League trophy but also it's important that people understand that the serious work we do in the club is really to put us always in the level of fighting for all the trophies that we can as much as possible to the last stages.

“But there's people also working in other houses that we also avoid that make our jobs difficult. I think that this year we'll have very hard competition in South Africa for sure."

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However, what gives Cardoso comfort is that his team is starting to gel and regain its fitness after showing signs of exhaustion in the first few games of the season, following a FIFA Club World Cup campaign in the US. 

The Portuguese-born coach says the interventions they have put in will at least allow them to bypass some steps.

"We see that our start was difficult regarding the fact that while the other ones were preparing we were still competing and then we had to change a lot in the team but the energy we are putting on the things will allow us to jump stages and approach where we wanna be as quick as possible,” the coach added. 

“But a competition is hard, we need to respect the competition and to respect the competition can be very, very cumulative with the work that we do everyday so that we raise our level because we cannot stay where we are. 

“We know we can do it but it's also very important that people don't look at Sundowns and think Sundowns will not be the same because it's not the same, there are new players, new dynamics, there are new things. 

“What the fans can expect is that we fight hard, we will fight hard. We need to have the attitude to fight everyday."