Miguel Cardoso urges Mamelodi Sundowns to carry domestic momentum into CAF semi-final

Mamelodi Sundowns are in a good space right now on the domestic front, which is why coach Miguel Cardoso has urged his troops to carry their energy and momentum into their continental campaign.

Sundowns will face Espérance Sportive de Tunis in the CAF Champions League semi-final, with the first leg scheduled for Sunday (kick-off 9pm) at Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Radès, Tunisia, while the return leg will be hosted at Loftus Versfeld next Saturday.

This will be the third successive meeting between the two clubs in the knockout stage of the prestigious tournament. Three seasons ago, Cardoso’s Esperance eliminated Sundowns in the semi-final, before the Portuguese-born coach led the South Africans to a win over the Tunisians in the quarter-final last season.

Cardoso will be eager for his third successive win in this tie – a feat that will be motivated by the domestic form of his Sundowns team, who have won their last 10 league games, tightening their lead at the top of the Betway Premiership standings.

Speaking after their 1-0 win over Durban City at Chatsworth Stadium on Tuesday night, Cardoso pleaded with his troops to channel all their energy into the continental campaign over the next two weeks.

“Everything is important,” Cardoso said.

“We may have been collecting points, but if we want to be champions of this league, that means we can extend that circle. We need to continue to collect points because the league is very tough. We now need to switch the energy to the Champions League and get the momentum that can take us to the final.”

This is a make-or-break season for Cardoso, as anything other than triumph at the end of the current African campaign will likely see him walk the plank. Cardoso is clearly aware of what’s at stake.

“There are no victories if you are not playing the game that you want to play,” Cardoso said. “But, obviously, you need to understand that we have a lot of matches. So, you have a responsibility to manage the team well without going in another direction.

“Victories are important so that we can fight in every game with the right energy. But we are focused on performances and playing the way we want. If we take the game another way, we could be punished.”

Cardoso has done his best to manage his squad, resting some key players for crucial games – a move that has allowed him to tap into players on the fringes. One of the players who has taken his opportunity recently is Katlego Ntsabeleng, who recently registered an assist in their 4-1 win over Golden Arrows and scored the lone goal against Durban City.

“We knew that he’s a player with quality, but he had to first adapt to our way of playing,” Cardoso said. “In the absence of other players, he got a chance and has been doing very well.

“He has been training very consistently. So, I want to praise his attitude. Since August, when we started the season, he has had the right mentality. So, we’ll definitely need him in future.”