Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has revealed his frustration after several Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs reportedly turned down requests to play their league matches earlier, as the champions try to clear their calendar ahead of another CAF Champions League campaign.
The Brazilians, who have been dominant both domestically and continentally, were the first team to reach 10 Betway Premiership games this season after completing five fixtures within just two weeks — a deliberate move to free up future midweeks for continental duty.
Cardoso explained that the intention behind the packed early schedule is to ensure Sundowns have clear weeks when CAF fixtures resume.
“We want to have the weeks of the Champions League full,” said Cardoso. “When there is a South African team playing in the Champions League, it is not only representing the club or the badge but South African football as a whole. It is important that everybody knows that.”
The coach, who guided Esperance to the CAF Champions League final last year, said it was standard practice in North African leagues to protect clubs competing in continental tournaments.
“The biggest teams in Africa don’t play in the middle of the week before a Champions League match — never!” he said. “In Tunisia, the calendar is done so that Champions League teams are supported to go far. We’re just trying to create the same conditions here.”
Despite the club’s proactive scheduling, Cardoso says they have hit a stumbling block in trying to secure opponents for an additional fixture before the next FIFA international break.
“After playing Galaxy on Wednesday, we’re trying to find a team willing to play us on Sunday, November 9, before the FIFA dates,” he explained. “Already we tried four clubs and no one wants to play. Maybe someone is telling them not to.”
Cardoso insists that advancing in the Champions League requires planning and cooperation from domestic rivals and the league.
“We want to clean the future because when we come from the international break, we have to play Orbit three days before the Champions League, and the same will happen in January. Our players will also return from AFCON, so we’re managing matches carefully,” he said.
The coach also urged the PSL to ensure that the season’s schedule does not extend beyond the official calendar, as it did last year.
“We don’t expect any favours this season. We just want to play all our matches as scheduled,” Cardoso concluded.
