Mamelodi Sundowns will begin a new era when coach Miguel Cardoso takes charge of his first match as they host Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca in the CAF Champions League.
The match, set to be staged at the Loftus Versfeld on Sunday, December 15, will test the mettle of the Portuguese coach who was installed in the Sundowns hot seat on Tuesday following the sacking of Manqoba Mngqithi.
Mngqithi was dismissed largely due to Sundowns’ poor start to their Champions League group stage campaign that has yielded just two points from as many matches against Maniema Union from DR Congo and AS FAR Rabat from Morocco.
Sundowns started with a dull goalless draw against the Congolese side at home before they were forced to settle for a 1-1 stalemate in Morocco last weekend, a game that proved to be the last straw for Mngqithi.
Cardoso therefore needs to hit the ground running and even though he has had few training sessions with his new team, he will not escape the scrutiny if the Brazilians do not impress at home to Raja.
Head-to-head
Sundowns are facing Moroccan opposition for a second straight game and like AS FAR, they are also meeting Raja for the first time.
However, the Brazilians have faced off with Moroccan opposition in the form of Wydad Athletic Club 14 times, winning four, drawing five and losing as many.
Form guide
Cardoso will be grateful that he is not walking into a crisis club as Sundowns are joint top of the PSL table and not far off in the Champions League as only FAR Rabat are ahead on four points while they are second in their group on two points.
Sundowns headed into the match against FAR Rabat on the back of a 3-0 league win over Sekhukhune United, which took them to the top of the PSL table, ending a run of two games without victory, after losing the Carling Knockout final 2-1 to Magesi FC, before the draw with Maniema Union.
That run had been preceded by a four-match winning run, when the Brazilians did not concede a goal while scoring 11, meaning Cardoso is not working on confidence but rather tactics.
Sundowns will be glad that Raja come into the match not in their best form as they only have one win from their last nine matches which sees them sit in eighth place on the Moroccan league table, 10 points behind leaders RS Berkane, while in the Champions League, they are bottom with one point.
That was secured following a 1-1 draw with Maniema, having lost 2-0 to FAR Rabat in their group opener.
What have they said?
Cardoso has expressed a need to build a dominant team that subdues the opponent by controlling games and feels he has the right players to do it.
“I want a team that can control the games. Controlling the games means the team must be solid in all four moments of the match. You must understand very well what to do with the ball,” Cardoso said.
“It's how we can be together. The difficulties will come and we will overcome them when we are together.
“You win on the first day of the week, on the first training of the week and this is the first mentality I will bring to the club. The true winners don't come from perfection, they come from consistency. We need to be ambitious, ambitious is not something you say. It's what you show, it's an attitude. No one kills an attitude, no one. It's impossible.”
Team news
There have not been any injury news from the Sundowns camp, meaning Cardoso has a full squad to field on Sunday, although defender Aubrey Modiba is suspended following his red card in Morocco.
One man that the new coach will hinge his hopes on is striker Iqraam Rayners, who has scored in his last four matches, including last week.
Tickets, time & where to watch?
Tickets are available at TicketPro outlets at R40 but children under 12 will gain free entry. The match will kick off at 15.00 at Loftus Versfeld and will be live on SuperSport TV (SS209) and SABC 1.
Predicted lineups
Sundowns predicted XI: Williams, Mudau, Kekana, Khoza, Lebusa, Allende, Mokoena, Aubaas, Ribeiro, Rayners, Shalulile
