Miguel Cardoso and Mamelodi Sundowns are hunting a rare treble of championships this season.
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Miguel Cardoso will have to to work with what he has and make the most of it this week, if he's to win a treble in his first season at Mamelodi Sundowns. Sundowns will be back in action on Friday night (kick-off 7pm) after the Fifa break when they host Sekhukhune United in the Nedbank Cup quarter-final in Atteridgeville.
The timing of this fixture’s rescheduling, which was postponed due to a double-booking of the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe stadium, probably doesn't please the Portuguese tactician. Cardoso will feel it's too soon, as his international players will only be available for training – if at all – on Thursday after flying back into the country.
Cardoso would have preferred to focus solely on their CAF Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash at home to Esperance the following Tuesday before playing any match. After all, his former employers, Esperance, will do the same – flying to South Africa, and playing the Brazilians in the nation's capital at 3pm on that day.
But if Sundowns are the ambitious team they claim to be and want to compete in every competition, Cardoso must understand that he can’t have everything his way. He must take the knocks.
The 52-year-old will luckily have his Bafana Bafana players back for the Friday clash, as they will use a chartered flight to return from Ivory Coast, where they will have faced Benin. Bafana will face Les Guépards at the neutral Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in the World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday (6pm), and are expected to fly back to the country the following day
The other good news for Cardoso is that his Bafana counterpart, Hugo Broos, has promised to rest some of his regulars, who started in the 2-0 win over Lesotho in Polokwane last Friday. Bafana still need to secure full points to extend their lead in Group C.
Four Sundowns players started for Bafana against Lesotho: goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, defender Khuliso Mudau, and midfielders Jayden Adams and Teboho Mokoena. There were also some Brazilians who contributed from the bench: Thapelo Morena, Bathusi Aubaas, and Iqraam Rayners all made cameos in the second half.
Broos, however, understands that Sundowns' players need to rest, and specifically mentioned Mokoena. The Belgian coach noted that Mokoena had played most of Sundowns' games this season, across both domestic and continental football, and needs a break going forward.
For a team of Sundowns' calibre, which boasts arguably the deepest squad in domestic football, it’s somewhat of a two-edged sword that Cardoso is complaining about the tight schedule. Firstly, most of the Sundowns players – second or third string – could walk into the starting line-up of other big teams like Orlando Pirates or Kaizer Chiefs.
Secondly, it’s understandable where Cardoso is coming from. It’s crunch time for everyone, and the coaches need their best players on the field, regardless of the competition.
Cardoso is under pressure to deliver the treble, as he needs to justify the club's decision to sack Manqoba Mngqithi and appoint him instead. He also wants to prove his critics wrong, as he was heavily criticised for having a thin CV, which notably included winning the league with Esperance last season after arriving mid-season.
Babina Noko, meanwhile, would have welcomed the break, as new coach Eric Tinkler had time to work with the players after replacing Lehlohonolo Seema. Tinkler, moreover, only missed Bafana’s defender Vuyo Letlapa and Ivory Coast goalkeeper Badra Sangare during the two-week hiatus.
With Cardoso's regulars expected to be at his disposal for the clash against Babina Noko, it will be up to him to decide whether he wants to involve them in the match.