Cardoso Sets Ambitious Targets For Champions League Campaign
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso believes his team has the desire and ambition to go all the way in the CAF Champions League this season, ahead of their crucial group stage match against Al Hilal.
The highly anticipated match between the two teams will take place at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Friday, with both teams level on points at the top of the group.
Sundowns are top level with Hilal on four points in Group C, having beaten Saint Eloi Lupopo and drawn against Rulani Mokwena’s MC Alger. Al Hilal, on the other hand, has won against Alger and drawn against Lupopo.
When asked about the team’s ambitions in the competition, Cardoso was quick to respond.
“We will have to go to Rwanda, and we’ll have to go to Congo, and for the moment it’s not that far, and the expectations are to do better in the group stage home and away,” Cardoso said.
“The ambitions of this club are to play all the away games with the mentality of winning them. When you have the desire and ambition to play each game to win, then you will go far and proceed.
“But we know the level of this competition, and we know which level we need to be on when playing these games. Let’s worry about it on Friday so that we can go on another day, but we’ll fight until the games of the group stages end.”
Last season, Sundowns reached the final of the Champions League under Cardoso’s guidance but lost to Egyptian giants Pyramids, who won their first title.
However, the Brazilians are eager to make a strong comeback this season and lift the trophy, which they last won in 2016 under the guidance of Pitso Mosimane.
Putting focus on the upcoming game against Al Hilal, the former Esperance mentor added that good results will give them a good position in the log table.
“Great competition ahead, we’re back in the Champions League, third match out of six, and nothing will be decided on Friday,” Cardoso added.
“Obviously, a good result from our side will give us a good position in the competition.
“We have a lot of respect for Al Hilal because it’s a team with a lot of resources, and I think they’ve got a lot of players in the national team.
“So, we will look at the responsibility of this game on how the opponent plays and what they can do.
“But we know very, very well what we can do and the capacity we have and how we can approach the match with responsibility, but with the same energy as it.”
A win in this top-of-the-table clash will put Sundowns in a good position to challenge for a spot in the knockout stages.
