Cardoso Disappointed Despite Sundowns’ Victory Over Esperance
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s performance against Esperance in the first leg of the CAF Champions League quarter-final, stating they failed to execute their game plan effectively.
Sundowns struggled to break down Esperance’s defense in the first half. However, second-half substitutions proved decisive, with Peter Shalulile heading home from close range following a Jayden Adams assist, securing a 1-0 victory at Loftus Stadium on Tuesday.
This result gives Sundowns a slim advantage heading into the second leg in Tunisia next week.
Esperance, who eliminated Sundowns in last season’s semi-final without conceding a goal, adopted a defensive approach, clearly aiming for a goalless draw. They offered little attacking threat throughout the match.
Cardoso, anticipating Esperance’s defensive tactics, felt Sundowns should have capitalized on their dominance by scoring a second goal.
“I think in the first half, despite our control of the game, we lacked intelligence. We relied more on emotion than strategic play,” Cardoso explained on SuperSport TV.
“We knew how to break down such a compact defense, utilizing width. However, we failed to implement this on the pitch.”
“At half-time, we made necessary adjustments, which we executed well in the first 20 minutes of the second half. We scored the goal. But then, we lost our focus again. We should have maintained our approach and created more opportunities for a second goal.”
The second leg will take place at Stade olympique Hammadi-Agrebi in Radès on Tuesday at 21:00. Cardoso, who previously coached Esperance, is well aware of the challenge his team faces.
“We respect the level of our opponents. We know the type of game we must play. But we have confidence in ourselves. We believe we can score, which will make the game more difficult for Esperance,” he said.
“Firstly, we understand that the match will be played in a passionate atmosphere. Esperance has fantastic fans, albeit a little different from ours. They will be doing their job. We must commit ourselves to believing we can score and win. I truly believe we can win that match.”
