Mamelodi Sundowns’ Cardoso makes bold CAF CL promise: ‘Sometimes people think coaches are magicians!’

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso believes his fully-fit squad has what it takes to bring the CAF Champions League trophy home.

The defending Premier Soccer League champions beat AS FAR Rabat by a solitary goal in the first leg of the final staged at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium last weekend on Sunday. A draw of any kind is the least Masandawana need to get their second star.

Last year, the Brazilians were undone by Pyramids of Egypt in the final, explaining why they badly need victory in Morocco on Sunday.

Cardoso has underlined the importance of having quality players in the squad who can steer the team to great heights. It explains why he remains optimistic about winning the prestigious continental club competition.

Coaches aren’t magicians, but…

“Sometimes the people think that the coaches are magicians, but no there isn’t any magic. There are big players who can obviously be important assets, and we are on the level of the players who we have available,” he said as quoted by SABC Sport.

Some of the best players in the team were not able to give the necessary help to the team, but there is no team that can resist losing several players who are important especially when you play a lot.

“We have to get the energy, not from the result we could’ve got but rather from the result we have in hand. It’s my third final in a row, but it’s the first time I go into the second leg with a goal in advance, and all three finals are played away from home. 

“We will fight to make the one goal advantage enough, a second goal would’ve been more fair for the level we showed in the first leg, but we are going to take the right energy and approach the second leg seriously,” Cardoso concluded.