Will Cardoso Change Sundowns’ Style Of Play For CAFCL Final?
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has responded on whether he will adopt a different style of play for the highly anticipated first leg of the CAF Champions League final against Pyramids FC at Loftus Stadium on Saturday (15:00).
The Brazilians will do battle for continental glory against the megarich Egyptian outfit in the capital, before jetting off to Cairo, where the return leg of the encounter is penciled in for 1 June, in what will be the deciding match of the two-legged clash.
Masandawana overcame Tunisian powerhouse Esperance de Tunis and record 12-time African champions Al Ahly en route to the final. Meanwhile, Pyramids ousted AS FAR of Morocco in the quarterfinals before sending Orlando Pirates packing in the last four.
Now, with the crucial match looming, the Portuguese tactician says his team is well-placed in terms of their style of play, having been entrusted to take over the reins from Manqoba Mngithi in December last year.
“What I cannot deny is the work that we have [done] since the day I came here. So, the work we have been doing brought us to certain places, where we express ourselves, so the football we are playing comes from that work,” said Cardoso.
“It doesn’t come from the style we played before, also it comes from the history of the modern past from the moment that we arrived to the moment that we are in now. So, where we stand today [Friday] is for sure the best place we could ever be in.
“So, that’s what we have to take inside the pitch – what we have. But the understanding of the question has to do with the strategic approach on the match, so that’s important to be clear enough, to understand what kind of game you have to play.”
While he is pleased with the style of play he implemented at Chloorkop, Cardoso insists they will not do away with the club’s and the technical team’s identity for the high-stakes encounter.
The 52-year-old mentor also urged his troops to play with comfort.
“So, there are always details on the match, and we need to understand the opponent. We will not run away from our identity; we will not run away from what we want, and we will not deny the work that the club and ourselves have done since we arrived here,” he added.
“So, it’s in the middle of those things to make sure that we perform. For me, the most important thing is for my players to play with comfort, and playing with comfort has to do with respecting all these kinds of games.
“We brought some capacity to bring whoever in these kinds of matches, and also, I want them [players] to be better when they play these kinds of matches, and that’s it.”
The Tshwane giants will be keen to secure a favorable result in their backyard as they look to reign supreme on the African continent and add a second star on their crest, as the Cairo-based outfit will be targeting a first-ever continental triumph.
