Miguel Cardoso's trophy collection at Mamelodi Sundowns FC now stands at four major honours, underlining a period of sustained success for the club. The Portuguese coach, who arrived in December 2024, has guided the team to the Betway Premiership, the MTN8, the CAF Champions League and the FIFA Africa-Asian-Pacific Cup, silencing early criticism.

Cardoso captured the 2026 CAF Champions League with a 2-1 aggregate victory over AS FAR in May, securing the club's second continental crown. That triumph came a year after a painful 3-2 aggregate defeat to Pyramids FC in the 2025 final. Domestically, Sundowns beat Orlando Pirates 2-0 in the MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium, with Teboho Mokoena opening the scoring and Iqraam Rayners converting a stoppage-time penalty to seal a fifth title for the club.

The momentum has carried into the new campaign. Mamelodi Sundowns sit top of the Premier Soccer League with 23 points from nine matches, holding a one-point lead over Orlando Pirates. Their recent form shows three wins and two draws from the last five outings, leaving them unbeaten. A 4-1 away win at Richards Bay on 13 October, where Tashreeq Matthews and a Iqraam Rayners brace featured, was followed by a goalless draw at Wiliete last weekend. This sequence of results, which also includes a 2-1 win over Al-Ahli Jeddah and a 3-0 victory over Siwelele, has stays at the summit.

Cardoso reflected on the journey. "Cardoso has survived the storm, now Sundowns are reaping the rewards," the manager said. The challenge now is to sustain this dominance, especially after surrendering the league title in the 2025/26 season despite earlier cup successes. Managing a star-studded squad demands constant tactical flexibility and rotation.

The immediate task is to maintain their league position ahead of the next fixture. Sundowns host Durban City, who are 10th, at home on 1 November. With 23 goals scored and only eight conceded this season, the team's attacking strength, led by top scorer Tashreeq Matthews with three goals, provides a solid platform. The club will aim to extend its unbeaten run and widen the gap at the summit when Durban City visit next month.

The report in full is at iol.co.za