Cardoso expects tactical battle as Sundowns face Al Ahly in CAF Champions League

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has continued to highlight the importance of tactics in his pre-match comments ahead of Friday’s CAF Champions League semi-final second leg against Al Ahly.

“Teams need to manage the moment and need to understand how to approach matches strategically. We are going to wait [to see which] sort of Al Ahly we are going to get,” Cardoso said ahead of the high-stakes clash in Cairo.

Cardoso stressed that Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns are the two best clubs in Africa, and that whoever advances will likely be favourites to lift the trophy. Reflecting on the first leg, the Portuguese coach noted the high level of respect Al Ahly showed by adopting a defensive approach in South Africa, while also admitting his side did not perform at their best.

Known for their prolific attack, Masandawana edged past Tunisia’s Esperance with a narrow 1-0 aggregate win, following a lacklustre attacking display in the first leg. They also failed to score in all four knockout matches of last season’s CAF Champions League, where they were eliminated in the semi-finals.

Cardoso’s reputation for results-oriented football, combined with his pre-match remarks, suggests little will change in approach: “Strategically, if you look at the match in South Africa, the team had a different approach. We are playing in the semi-final of the Champions League, and teams play for a result.”

Regardless, Cardoso was brought in precisely for his reputation in handling matches of this calibre, and Sundowns demonstrated their ability to grind out narrow results with their win over Esperance. Expect another tight battle, where a single goal could prove decisive in front of a capacity crowd at Cairo International Stadium.