Mamelodi Sundowns

Miguel Cardoso

Role Head Coach
Age 53
Nationality Portuguese
Licence UEFA Pro

Appointed

October 2024

Trophies

1

Reported salary

~R4-4.5m / month

description

Biography

Full Name

Miguel Cardoso

Date of Birth

1972-05-28

Playing Career

No senior professional playing career. Trained as a physical-education teacher before moving into coaching via FC Porto's academy.

Coaching Since

2017-2018

Languages

PortugueseEnglishSpanishFrench

Agent

Gestifute (reported)

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Mamelodi Sundowns

Since October 2024

Appointed October 2024
First title 2024-25 PSL
Reported salary ~R4-4.5m / month
Age 53
Licence UEFA Pro
Base Chloorkop, Johannesburg
View Mamelodi Sundowns arrow_forward
Profile

Miguel Cardoso is the Portuguese head coach who won the PSL title at Mamelodi Sundowns in his debut season after replacing Manqoba Mngqithi in October 2024. He is 53 years old, trained as a teacher before moving into football at Porto's academy, and has managed Rio Ave, Nantes, AEK Athens, Celta Vigo on interim and Al-Wakrah before landing at Chloorkop.

Tactical Philosophy

Cardoso is a possession coach from the Porto school. His Sundowns play a 4-3-3 that resolves into a 3-2-5 in the attacking phase, with the right-back inverting into midfield and the left-back pushing high. Build-up is patient, with the goalkeeper as the first passer and the centre-backs split wide of the penalty area.

Pressing is triggered by back-pass and lateral pass in the opposition defensive third. When the press is broken Sundowns retreat to a compact 4-4-2 mid-block rather than a low block. The trade-off in South African conditions is stamina: Cardoso rotates heavily and trusts the second-string more than his predecessor did.

dynamic_form

Preferred Formation

4-3-3 (possession 3-2-5)

Managerial Timeline

Mamelodi Sundowns

Oct 2024-present

PSL 2024-25

Won the 2024-25 PSL title in debut season — Sundowns' eighth straight. Strong CAF Champions League run to semi-final.

Wins 33
P 48
Win% 69

Chaves

2024

Short Portuguese second-division run before the Sundowns call.

Wins 4
P 10
Win% 40

Yverdon-Sport

2023-2024

Kept newly-promoted Yverdon in Switzerland's top flight — stabilised a fragile dressing room.

Wins 9
P 22
Win% 41

Nantes (second spell)

2023

Returned to a relegation-threatened side. Let go before season end.

Wins 4
P 16
Win% 25

Al-Wakrah (Qatar)

2021-2022

Qatari top-flight spell. Mid-table finish with a low-budget roster.

Wins 12
P 27
Win% 44

Celta Vigo (interim)

2020

Short La Liga spell keeping the club above the relegation line before a new permanent appointment.

Wins 3
P 11
Win% 27

AEK Athens

2019

Appointed to restore a title-defender to contention. Let go mid-season after a cup exit.

Wins 7
P 15
Win% 47

Nantes

2018

Ligue 1 role that ended early in a results slump. Moved on to AEK Athens.

Wins 6
P 19
Win% 32

Rio Ave

2017-2018

Top-half finish in Primeira Liga with a small squad. Won praise for positional play and the move to Nantes followed.

Wins 14
P 33
Win% 42
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Notable Achievement

PSL (Premier Soccer League)

With Mamelodi Sundowns — debut season · 2024-25

View Squad arrow_forward

emoji_eventsTrophies

  • military_tech
    PSL (Premier Soccer League)
    With Mamelodi Sundowns — debut season
    2024-25

scoreboardNotable Matches

  • 30 Oct 2024 2-0
    Sundowns 2-0 Stellenbosch

    Cardoso's first PSL win — introduced the 3-2-5 in-possession shape away from home.

  • 15 Mar 2025 0-1
    Orlando Pirates 0-1 Sundowns

    Soweto derby decided by a single Themba Zwane goal. Key three points in the title run-in.

  • 18 May 2025 2-1
    Sundowns 2-1 SuperSport United

    Result that mathematically clinched the 2024-25 PSL title — Cardoso's first trophy at the club.

  • 12 Apr 2026 1-2
    Al Ahly 1-2 Sundowns (CAFCL SF)

    Away leg that put Sundowns in a continental final for the first time since 2016.

Expert Analysis

TM

Thabiso Mkhize

Senior Writer · 11 posts on Miguel

Coach FAQ

Who is Miguel Cardoso? expand_more

Miguel Cardoso is a 53-year-old Portuguese football manager, full name José Miguel Azevedo Cardoso, born on 28 May 1972 in Famalicão, Portugal. He is the head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, appointed in October 2024, and won the 2024-25 PSL title in his debut South African season.

Is Miguel Cardoso still Mamelodi Sundowns coach? expand_more

Yes. As of April 2026 Cardoso remains head coach at Mamelodi Sundowns. Speculation about an exit circulated during and after the 2024-25 season but the club and coach publicly confirmed his continuation into 2025-26.

What is Miguel Cardoso's salary at Sundowns? expand_more

Publicly reported figures put Cardoso's Sundowns salary at roughly R4-4.5 million per month (approximately US $220,000-$240,000), making him one of the best-paid coaches in South African football history. Sundowns has not officially confirmed the exact figure.

Related

Country Football in South Africa arrow_forward Competition PSL (Premier Soccer League) arrow_forward Club Mamelodi Sundowns arrow_forward Club Kaizer Chiefs arrow_forward Club Orlando Pirates arrow_forward Player Themba Zwane arrow_forward Player Ronwen Williams arrow_forward Player Relebohile Mofokeng arrow_forward

help Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Miguel Cardoso? add
Miguel Cardoso is a 53-year-old Portuguese football manager, full name José Miguel Azevedo Cardoso, born on 28 May 1972 in Famalicão, Portugal. He is the head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, appointed in October 2024, and won the 2024-25 PSL title in his debut South African season.
Is Miguel Cardoso still Mamelodi Sundowns coach? add
Yes. As of April 2026 Cardoso remains head coach at Mamelodi Sundowns. Speculation about an exit circulated during and after the 2024-25 season but the club and coach publicly confirmed his continuation into 2025-26.
What is Miguel Cardoso's salary at Sundowns? add
Publicly reported figures put Cardoso's Sundowns salary at roughly R4-4.5 million per month (approximately US $220,000-$240,000), making him one of the best-paid coaches in South African football history. Sundowns has not officially confirmed the exact figure.
What is Miguel Cardoso's salary at Sundowns per month? add
Local South African media has reported a monthly package of around R4-4.5 million including performance bonuses, which would make Cardoso's deal one of the most expensive in PSL history. The club does not publish salaries, so reporting has varied.
How old is Miguel Cardoso? add
Cardoso is 53 years old. He was born on 28 May 1972 in Famalicão, northern Portugal, and worked as a physical-education teacher before entering professional football via FC Porto's academy.
What teams has Miguel Cardoso coached? add
Cardoso has managed Rio Ave (Portugal), Nantes (France, twice), AEK Athens (Greece), Celta Vigo as interim (Spain), Al-Wakrah (Qatar), Yverdon-Sport (Switzerland), Chaves (Portugal) and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa). Before head-coach roles he was on FC Porto's academy staff.
Did Miguel Cardoso play football? add
No, not at a professional level. Cardoso trained as a physical-education teacher and came into football directly as a coach via FC Porto's academy in the early 2000s. He has no senior playing career.
What trophies has Miguel Cardoso won? add
His standout trophy is the 2024-25 PSL (Premier Soccer League) title with Mamelodi Sundowns — won in his debut South African season after replacing Manqoba Mngqithi in October 2024. That was Sundowns' eighth consecutive league title.
What is Miguel Cardoso's record at Sundowns? add
Across his first season-and-a-half in charge (October 2024 through April 2026), Cardoso has managed approximately 48 matches with 33 wins, 9 draws and 6 losses — a win rate of about 69%. The record includes the 2024-25 PSL title and a CAF Champions League semi-final run in 2025-26.
What nationality is Miguel Cardoso? add
Portuguese. He was born in Famalicão, in the Braga District of northern Portugal, on 28 May 1972, and holds only Portuguese citizenship.
When did Miguel Cardoso join Sundowns? add
Cardoso was appointed Mamelodi Sundowns head coach in October 2024, replacing Manqoba Mngqithi. He signed a multi-year deal and took charge of his first match at the end of that month.
What is Miguel Cardoso's style of play? add
Cardoso is a possession coach from the FC Porto school. Sundowns play a 4-3-3 that becomes a 3-2-5 in possession, with an inverted right-back and patient build-up from the goalkeeper. Pressing is trigger-based, activated on back-passes and lateral passes in the opposition third.

Last updated 2026-04-22 · written by Thabiso Mkhize.