Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso was critical of his side despite their 1-0 win over Esperance de Tunis in the CAF Champions League quarterfinal.
With a 1-0 lead secured in the first leg, Mamelodi Sundowns will travel to Tunisia hoping to maintain their advantage.
Esperance, on the other hand, will need to find the back of the net to level the aggregate score. Peter Shalulile's single goal proved the difference in a match where clear-cut chances were scarce for both sides.
Despite the victory, Sundowns coach Cardoso expressed his disappointment, stating that his team failed to adhere to their planned approach.
CARDOSO NOT HAPPY ABOUT SUNDOWNS’ PERFORMANCE AGAINST ESPERANCE
“I think the first half we were not very clever on the way we had to play,” he said on SABC Sport as quoted by iDiski Times.
“Because the things that we knew we had to put on the pitch we didn’t. So we ran away from the plan that we had defined that’s important to do. When you do it it’s obvious you’ll not play the game you want to play.
“Anyway, we controlled the first half, then I think in the second half we did in the first 20 minutes what we needed to do. Out of that we got the goal, and at that moment I felt we played what we wanted to play.
“Then again we went on not the best emotions and could have continued with the same style that we wanted to have in order to go for the second goal.
“But we also need to understand the game we were playing and what team we were playing. The tie is at half-time, we have hard work ahead of us, but it’s better go with a 1-0 rather than a 1-1 or a 0-0.
“So I’m not really excited but conscious about what have ahead and what we got.”
Sundowns will face off against Esperance in the return leg on Tuesday, 8 April at the Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi at 9 PM.
