Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso says he was not bothered by past speculation surrounding his future, insisting he had the backing of the powers-that-be at Chloorkop.

The 54-year-old has guided Sundowns to their second consecutive CAF Champions League final after they beat Tunisia’s Espérance in the semi-finals.

Previously, Cardoso was thought to be under increasing pressure to leave the club, with reports indicating the team’s performance was not to their usual standards.

Cardoso, however, now says his job was never under threat.

“That kind of people don’t make my life, I live from the energy from the ones that are important, and it’s curious that you say we didn’t know if we would stay, we all knew I would stay,” said Cardoso.

“We all knew we would stay, me, my assistants, my club, management, my players, we all knew that I would stay. The ones that wanted me out were probably ones that don’t have power or capacity to decide.”

The Tshwane side will meet Moroccan outfit FAR Rabat over two legs next month, with the first leg set for Pretoria. Cardoso has reached the final three seasons in a row, but he has yet to win the tournament after failed attempts with Espérance and Sundowns.

For now, he is just thrilled to be in the decider.

“But I don’t look at this moment as an individual achievement, I look at it as a club achievement, players’ achievements, it’s their job, their work, their high level of commitment, not mine,” he continued.

“I just try to facilitate and complicate nothing, and that’s it. I live in peace, I live in big peace, I am 54, and I have to enjoy life. One day, life will finish for everyone, and I don’t depend on my day-to-day work. I depend on what I did many years ago.

“So, my life is very stable. And I need to enjoy life, which brings me the peace of existing as a human being, that makes me just focus on my work, one day the journey will finish, for sure – let’s hope it’s very far away from today.”