Sundowns coach is wary of the nightmares lurking beneath football dreams

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is wary of the nightmares that lurk beneath the football dream.

Sundowns will host Limpopo ABC Motsepe League Champions Mpheni Home Defenders in a Nedbank Cup last-16 match at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday.

The Limpopo outfit is the only amateur side left in the competition.

Cardoso said Home Defenders will be arriving on Sunday with a dream, and it will be Sundowns' task to ensure the dream does not become a reality.

“This (Home Defenders) is a team that for sure comes with an ambition, with a dream," said the Portuguese-born Cardoso.

“It's our job not to allow that one dream does not become a true goal (reality)."

Cardoso’s thoughts coincide with what Home Defenders coach Vhutshilo Phuravhathu said at a recent Nedbank Cup presser.

Phuravhathu said it would be a dream to play any one of the PSL's 'Big Three' before the last-16 draw was conducted.

The dream has since come true and Phuravhathu said his players were now dreaming of transitioning to living it out on the field with a victory.

“We must focus on what we have to do in the match. We must face it most seriously and worry about what we must do in every moment on the pitch," said Cardoso.

“If we achieve that then we'll control the match. We'll emerge with a result that you should achieve of course."

Sundowns go into the match on the match of a shock 1-0 defeat against TS Galaxy in a midweek Premiership match.

It was their second Premiership defeat this season, and the shock outcome will have a bearing on Cardoso's team selection for Sunday's game.

It was likely that the squad's peripheral players would have formed the team's backbone, but Cardoso will likely call on his first choices to restore confidence in the ranks.

It appears Cardoso is going to play it safe.

“These kinds of competitions which depend on the outcome of one result before you make headway through the rounds, are always tricky.

“If the ones (the teams) who think they are stronger don't respect that fact they don't always show that they are stronger," said Cardoso.

"That is what we're going to focus on by having the right attitude to face a game that is important for us.

“We need to control the opposition and by achieving that, we can go through to the next round in the competition."

Cardoso has already shown the opposition great respect by requesting that the game be moved from their headquarters at Loftus Versfeld to the Atteridgeville venue because the playing surface was unsuitable for his team. The PSL announced the change on Wednesday.

Phuravhathu believes Sundowns' hectic schedule makes them vulnerable and his players will be running out with a killer instinct on Sunday.

"I'm a coach that believes any team is beatable on any day, and even Mamelodi Sundowns can be beaten on any day.

“Some teams show Sundowns too much respect and that's the reason they are not able to compete with them.

"If you go there and compete on Sunday, the chances of coming out with a good result is higher than not coming out to compete.“