Cardoso Targets Gallants Revenge
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says his side is determined to make amends for last season’s Carling Knockout Cup exit against Marumo Gallants, whom they were paired with once again in Wednesday’s round-of-16 draw.
Last October, Sundowns were knocked out 7-6 on penalties by Gallants following a goalless draw at Lucas Moripe Stadium. That fixture came right before the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League, where Sundowns defeated Nigerian side Remo Stars 5-1 away and 2-0 at home to advance 7-1 on aggregate.
While Gallants went on to reach the Carling Knockout Cup final—eventually losing to Orlando Pirates—sacrificing that domestic fixture proved to be a blessing in disguise for Sundowns, who went on to conquer the continent and lift the Champions League title.
With this year’s match falling amidst a congested fixture schedule—sandwiched between a two-legged Champions League tie against Angola’s Wiliete SC and the CAF Super Cup against USM Alger—Cardoso will once again be forced to rotate his squad. However, he has urged those given the opportunity to rise to the occasion and uphold the club’s high standards.
“We, as Mamelodi Sundowns, need to understand that some of the victories come between matches that are so important,” said Cardoso.
“And we need to manage our players to arrive at the strongest point as strong as we can.
“But we would like to be strong in the tournament, and we will do it. We will find the players because we obviously have a good squad, a strong squad. The ones who will put the shirt on for Mamelodi Sundowns will have to perform.”
Cardoso added that home advantage will play a key role: “Playing at home gives us comfort because we travel so much.
“It gives us less fatigue. But we also know Marumo, in history, last year’s history. Despite that match, it was one match where they did not enter any in the box. We also didn’t score, and that is the story of the game – put the ball in the back of the net.
“So, we got penalised on penalty shootouts that we don’t want to repeat. Let’s try to settle the game in the 90 minutes, respect the opponent, and respect the game as much as we can.”
Before focusing on domestic cup duty, Sundowns travel to Angola on Sunday for the first leg of their Champions League tie against Wiliete SC, where they will be expected to get a positive result.
Wiliete is the third Angolan club Sundowns will face in continental competition, following previous encounters with Petro de Luanda and 1º de Agosto. Overall, Sundowns have played 10 matches against Angolan opposition in CAF competitions, recording four wins, three draws, and three defeats.
While the Brazilians boast an impressive home record against Angolan teams (three wins and two draws), their away record is far more modest, with just one win, one draw, and three losses.
Cardoso warned against complacency, emphasizing that Wiliete will present a tough test.
“We should respect this qualifying round in a very, very strong and aggressive way,” he warned.
“The draw was not friendly. Sometimes, we catch teams that we understand we will beat; this is a tough one.
“They are leading in the Angolan championship. On arrival from Durban [after beating Richards Bay 4-1 in the Betway Premiership on Tuesday], we have been studying them, and it is a team that is going to give us problems.
“We need to be very focused, very concentrated, take the game to the limit, work as much as we can in this first away match, and bring the results that can open up the perspective in the second leg. Even on the second leg, we will take it to the limit.
“It is a responsibility we have in competitions to make the best, and the Champions League is obviously the next stage, and we have to perform at that stage and reach the group stages, and take it from there.”
The club has booked a direct chartered flight to Benguela to avoid regional transit delays ahead of Sunday’s clash with Wiliete.
