Mamelodi Sundowns News Today: Cardoso close to matching Pitso, Golden Boot in sight for Leon & more

Latest news on Mamelodi Sundowns in the last 24 hours, including coach Miguel Cardoso’s imminent Champions League record and Brayan Leon closing in on the Golden Boot.

Cardoso close to matching Mosimane’s record  

‎Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is close to matching Pitso Mosimane’s CAF Champions League record.

‎Mosimane is the only coach to have reached three straight Champions League finals when he guided Al Ahly to the 2020, 2021 and 2022 finals, winning the first two.

‎Cardoso guided Esperance to the 2024 final and Sundowns last year. With his team securing a 1-0 win over the Tunisian giants on Sunday, Cardoso is on the verge of making it three straight finals, if Sundowns avoid defeat in the semi-final second leg in Pretoria.

The only downside for Cardoso is that he’s lost both finals, first to Al Ahly and then to Pyramids.

‎Champions League Golden Boot in sight for Leon

Sundowns striker Brayan Leon may have arrived in January but he could end the season as the CAF Champions League top scorer.

‎Leon is now third on the top scorer’s list with four goals just two behind Al Ahly’s Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet and one less than Abdelrazik Omar of Al-Hilal.

‎With both Al Ahly and Al-Hilal eliminated, Leon, whose goal handed Sundowns a 1-0 win away to Esperance on Sunday, is three goals away from being the top scorer.

Mamelodi Sundowns warned: ‘The job is not done’

Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has warned his team against playing for a draw in their CAF Champions League semi-final second leg at home to Esperance on Saturday, April 18.

The Brazilians secured a vital away goal when they won 1-0 in Tunis on Sunday and now need to avoid defeat in Pretoria to seal a second straight final but Cardoso is warning against changing the approach.

“So, we don’t give nothing for granted. The attitude in Pretoria has to be even stronger, even more commitment, even more tactical strictness and even more control of the match,” he said as per IOL.

“And the play to win, because when you don’t play to win, you can suffer. And that’s the only way this team has and knows how to play. So, we need to take the game for that platform.”

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