The exit of one Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coaches, Joao Araujo, has raised eyebrows regarding the future of head coach Miguel Cardoso, with history pointing to ‘smoke’ before ‘fire’.
Perhaps the continuity of Cardoso on the Sundowns bench was prolonged by the club's participation at the FIFA Club World Cup, a few weeks after side lost to underdogs Pyramids FC in the CAF Champions League final.
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There is a belief in some sections that the Portuguese gaffer did not meet expectations by losing to the Egyptian club, who have next to nothing in support base and lacked experience at that level of the competition, compared to the pedigree of the Tshwane giants.
There are still grumblings that Cardoso did not do anything more to convince that he is a suitable coach for The Brazilians, who bowed out of the Club World Cup in the group stage.
All too often, at least in South Africa, an assistant coach leaving a club - after Araujo resigned just over a week ago, citing personal reasons - is normally a sign of instability within the coaching set-up.
Former Orlando Pirates coach Sergio Almenara leaving at the end of 2023/24 and shortly followed by fitness coach Miguel Bellver - both for "personal reasons" - was probably the biggest hint head coach Jose Riveiro was not going to renew his contract.
Brian Baloyi, ex-goalkeeper for Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns, has related a story of how Hristo Stoichkov’s assistant at the Chloorkop-based side, Antonio Lopez Habas, "stabbed him in the back" in 2010.
"When he (Stoichkov) was fired, we were second on the log on goal difference, we were left with less than 10 games. People, Sundowns management, were fighting with him and at that time Mr (Patrice) Motsepe was listening a lot to management in making decisions. Most of them didn't want him," Baloyi said on iDiski Dine YouTube Channel.
"So, they got him fired. As players, we loved him, especially senior players. The biggest mistake that his assistants did, Habas Lopez and Miguel, they stabbed him in the back.
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"After (Stoichkov) left, the next season they came back to coach without him. They (Sundowns management) convinced these guys that 'when the (new) season starts, you guys are taking over'. That's exactly what happened," revealed the man from Alexandra.
Bellver, who left Pirates with Almenara, has reunited with Riveiro at Al Ahly as one of the fitness coaches, including Carlos Nodar Paz, who also left his post fitness coach role at the Soweto giants to join The Red Devils.
Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
