Cardoso: Chiefs Will Give Us A Tough Game
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says they are aware of the difficulties they may face against Kaizer Chiefs but will do everything for them to win the game.
The Brazilians are set to face Amakhosi in the semi-final of the Nedbank Cup on Sunday at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday [18:00].
This will be the fourth time these two rivals face each other this season, and Sundowns won all the last three games.
Speaking ahead of this game, Cardoso revealed that Amakhosi are a strong team with a well-experienced coach, meaning their game will be not an easy game at all.
“Regarding the match as we approach the final of the competition, we know the level of the opponent, and they are one of the historical and top teams in South Africa,” Cardoso said.
“We played against them in the Championship, it was a very difficult match. I’ve played in some particular situations regarding the number of games we are playing during this time.
“But they are always a strong team and are coached by a strong coach of which it’s coach [Nassredine] Nabi. We need to take ourselves to the limit if we want to win the match and go to the final of this competition.
“So, we need to push Mamelodi Sundowns to the highest level of motivation, and also the highest level of capacity to play so that we can overcome the difficulties that naturally we appear on during the 90 minutes.”
The Brazilians have a big squad, and some of their players struggle to get game time. Cardoso has found a way to keep his players motivated, even those who are not getting game time.
“This is a tough job because at the same time you love all your players very much,” the former Esperance Sportive de Tunis coach added.
“There will be moments even if you are not playing but on the bench, that means you played a big role in the team. The fact that some players raise their hands that’s means other players need to work hard.
“We spoke a lot about Neo [Maema] in the past; he went to the national team and played two games very well. They will have an opportunity, but at the same time, when we have a lot of matches, we don’t train a lot.
“I think when you don’t train a lot, players don’t have opportunities to show themselves to the coaches what they can deliver. We have to put players that are joining and have already joined the group.
“We also have Mothobi [Mvala] and [Themba] Zwane who will join us soon, but they need to work hard to get chances.”
The winner between the Brazilians and Amakhosi will face whoever will win between the defending champions, Orlando Pirates and Marumo Gallants, in the final of this competition.
