Miguel Cardoso explains how Mamelodi Sundowns knocked out Al Ahly to reach the CAF Champions League Final.
Masandawana head coach has revealed the secret behind their historic push into the final, and it’s all about trust.
Sundowns booked their place in the final after a gutsy 1-1 draw against Al Ahly at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday night. With the first leg in Pretoria ending goalless, Sundowns edged through on the away goals rule to keep their African dream alive.
The Brazilians now face Pyramids FC of Egypt, who beat Orlando Pirates 3-2 in the other semi-final.
Trust powered Sundowns’ road to glory
“Trust, trust, no doubt, trust on the way we have been living this experience together, trust on the quality of each other, trust in the game plan for the match, trust that even when we were losing 1-0 we could score, trust that whatever happened in the past has nothing to do with new history that had to be written in Cairo,” said Cardoso, as quoted by FARPost.
He praised the entire Sundowns ecosystem, from management and players to families and supporters, for believing in the mission.
“We trust in a club that supports and gives [us] [the resources] to work hard, and trust in our families that are at home, the love we receive, trust in our supporters that are in South Africa. Basically, in brotherhood, we trust.”
Al Ahly’s cautious game plan made sense, says Cardoso
While some were surprised by Al Ahly’s defensive approach, Cardoso wasn’t.
“Well, eventually yes [I was surprised] but I understand [why they were defensive] because I think that in the last nine matches, Al Ahly have not beaten Mamelodi Sundowns,” he pointed out.
According to the Sundowns boss, both sides knew the high stakes – conceding even one goal could prove fatal.
“Teams had to take care of each other because we knew that [conceding] a goal would make things bad.”
Cardoso also revealed how Sundowns switched gears in the second half, sacrificing some creativity for greater aggression up front.
“We did a lot of changes in the second-half in order to become more aggressive, and we lost a little bit of creativity, but we had more aggression in the front. But in the end, we deserved it even though we have respect for Al Ahly.”
Above all, Cardoso hailed the Sundowns players for their belief when it mattered most.
“But we have a big [lot of] respect for ourselves for having believed that we could reach this stage.”
Stay tuned with The South African as Miguel Cardoso explains how Sundowns knocked out Al Ahly.
Was Mamelodi Sundowns lucky or was it down to ‘trust’?
Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
