Why Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso chose Themba Zwane in Fifa Club World Cup opener

Following Mamelodi Sundowns’ 1-0 win over Ulsan HD in their Fifa Club World Cup opener this week, coach Miguel Cardoso went to great lengths to explain the inclusion of veteran playmaker Themba Zwane in the starting XI.

This was the first time that Zwane had started a match since the Portuguese mentor Cardoso arrived at Sundowns.

For the greater part of Cardoso’s stewardship at the Brazilians, Zwane was recovering from an injury sustained in October 2024 while on Bafana Bafana duty.

The national team stalwart returned to action in April 2025, four months after Cardoso’s appointment in mid-December last year.

There was a massive outcry from Sundowns’ supporters after Cardoso left the 35-year-old Zwane on the bench in both legs of the CAF Champions League final, which they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Pyramids three weeks ago.

There were suggestions that Zwane was the missing creative force in the Masandawana midfield that could have unlocked the North African side’s defence.

Zwane’s absence from that high-stakes encounter raised a chorus of questions about his future role in the squad, and since then, Cardoso has been repeatedly asked questions about his plans for the fan favourite, affectionately known as ‘Mshishi’.

This subject again came to the fore in Florida on Tuesday evening during the post-match press conference.

When the veteran playmaker Zwane was named in the run-on XI, it seemed Cardoso had finally yielded to fan pressure.

“It seems people didn’t understand that Themba came from an injury on a process of growth since the moment he re-entered the team and trained fully," said Cardoso.

“It’s important to give him the right opportunity so that he can perform.

“There’s no influence from the past. The pressure on me comes from inside the club, and is from my board and my players.

“That’s the pressure a coach will have when he settles into a career like mine.

“What happened is that Themba made a hell of a two-week preparation, and that is the respect we need to have. People spoke a lot about that (Zwane’s lack of playing time).

"I had no problems putting him in, even having the risk of letting people think I’m putting him in because of pressure."

It seemed that Zwane’s impressive two-week preparation leading up to the game was the deciding factor that led Cardoso to choose him.

Cardoso’s faith in Zwane paid off, as his inclusion not only silenced critics, but also showcased the squad’s depth and tactical flexibility in the win against Ulsan HD.

Coupled with the balance Zwane brought in midfield, it underlined why his experience and skill are indispensable to Sundowns’ ambitions on the world stage.

Cardoso will hope that Zwane can again be an influential figure in their next Club World Cup fixture, against German giants Borussia Dortmund on Saturday (6pm SA time kick-off) at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati.