Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is hoping to get past Al Ahly in the Caf Champions League semi-final and meet either Orlando Pirates or Pyramids FC in the final.
Masandawana host the Red Devils in the first leg of the last four on Saturday at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, with the second leg set for Cairo. The Portuguese tactician believes his team will be in pole position to get into the final if only they put Al Ahly under pressure to score as they did with Esperance.
Against the Tunisian outfit, the defending Premier Soccer League Champions secured a 1-0 win at home before playing to a goalless draw away.
“Let's see how the opponent will approach the game, teams like the ones competing in this moment are teams that understand how to relate to the different moments of the game, so I believe the game will have different moments,” Cardoso said ahead of the game.
‘A goal in the second leg will be difficult to cope with'
“Obviously, playing home and away being an advantage or disadvantage is relative, because it also has a lot to do with the result from the first leg,” he continued.
“If we can get a positive result without conceding, for example, that puts pressure on them because at any moment, a goal from us in the [away] leg can be very difficult to cope with, especially if we also scored at home.
“That's what happened in the Esperance match, we knew that despite not scoring in the second leg, we knew that any goal from us would make things drastic and almost impossible for them to cope with, even with the emotions that come into play.”
‘It is an open world of situations'
“But it's an open world of situations that happen inside the pitch, there's also emotions that can sometimes, when it's the wrong ones, affect the game, and the good ones keep us in the right line,” Cardoso added.
“So there are many things we can't control that happen, but I believe the teams that express themselves best and the players excel are those that, on the basis of what we do, also add something extra on the pitch, so that's what I hope to have from my players.
“I hope they can bring their best version on the pitch that can also add a lot to what I as a coach can give to them,” he concluded.
