THE COACH of Mamelodi Sundowns, who has had signs that he has a bad taste in some parts of the fans of this Chloorkop team, Miguel Cardoso, boasts that he has surpassed Pitso “Jingles” Mosimane’s record in the Caf Champions League.
Cardoso put Sundowns in the finals of the Champions League by helping them win 1-0 in the second leg of the semi-finals of the competition against Esperance Sportive de Tunis of Tunisia on Saturday, at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, in Pretoria.
Even in the first leg match, Sundowns won 1-0 which included a 2-0 win in the final of the Champions League against AS FAR of Morocco next month.
This coach from Portugal, puts Sundowns where there is honey, and last season he did the same but failed to win the match which ended up with Pyramids FC of Egypt.
It will be the third time in a row that Cardoso is part of the finals of this prestigious African competition since in the 2023/2024 season he was there but still coaching Esperance.
It was Mosimane who holds the record for playing in three consecutive Champions League finals.
Mosimane did this with Al Ahly from Egypt, he won two and lost one.
Cardoso will be looking for his first win in AS FAR since the result of last season’s final is one of the reasons for some of the fans to turn against him.
Cardoso was unusually happy at the press conference after the victory over Esperance with a goal from Colombia’s Bryan Leon.
“The Sundowns players showed everyone who wants to know how the Champions League matches are played,” said Cardoso.
“I am proud of the dedication of my players and my team. Sundowns played like a team that deserves to be part of the finals.
“I am full of pride for my work at Sundowns. “Records are meant to be broken, so I am happy. “I’ve been in football for a while but the satisfaction I feel inside with this match I don’t remember before,” he continued.
He did not give up the opportunity to take revenge on those who criticized him during the season.
“I hope that Sundowns’ entry into the Champions League final will help those who doubt the team’s decisions, to understand that they always make sense,” said Cardoso.