Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Thlopie Motsepe responds to fans' frustrations 'we hear them' and urges patience as Miguel Cardoso faces the heat

The Mamelodi Sundowns fanbase has often faced frustrations with their CAF Champions League campaigns and has casually wondered which other prestigious tournaments the club will contest.

Some supporters even viewed certain domestic cup competitions as 'off- or pre-season cups', making missing out on them less concerning.

However, this season, the Premier Soccer League title race has intensified pressures, and their continental campaign has sparked even greater concern among the Masandawana faithful.

The supporters have continued to ask the management to release coach Miguel Cardoso.

The chairman, Thlopie Motsepe, has stressed that supporters’ concerns are indeed heard and maintains that understanding and compassion are equally important during this challenging period.

“As a football club, we hear the fans; we hear the frustrations they felt at the time, but again, it’s about empathy and understanding their circumstances and also then understanding the technical team and the coaches' circumstances,” Motsepe said, as reported by iDiski Times.

“The supporters come from a position where there’s a lot of pressure on them from the outside world, from maybe supporters of other teams; it’s the nature of the competition, and so the pressure they find themselves under when not performing to the standards they hope – those frustrations are voiced."

While some may question Thlopie Motsepe’s stance, particularly given past instances where coaches were perceived to have been dismissed for falling short of even minor targets, the 36-year-old has reiterated that the Pretoria outfit prides itself on long-term planning and stability.

“We hear them, but we’re a long-term club; we look at a project in terms of its entirety, and our supporters have been with us a very long time, and we also look at our coaches and say, 'We want to be with you for a long period so we can achieve our targets,'" he concluded.

It remains to be seen how the chairman’s message will be received by the broader fanbase, given previous concerns raised about the club’s direction and allegations of perceived favouritism toward the current coach.

On the pitch, however, the Brazilians have continued to fight for maximum points in a tightly contested campaign. As the season approaches its decisive stages, a successful defence of the league title would provide strong validation of the club’s approach, while a triumph in the CAF Champions League would further reinforce that belief.