Mamelodi Sundowns' boys must become men after beating Esperance at home

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is already planning the Brazilians' next step, arguing that his boys will have to be men next week and that they can’t afford to rest on their laurels when they visit Espérance in Tunisia.

Sundowns will head to North Africa high on confidence after beating Espérance 1-0 in the CAF Champions League quarter-final, first leg, On Tuesday. Peter Shalulile chipped in with the all-important goal for the Brazilians in the second half, sending the stadium into a frenzy.

However, it was a painful defeat for Espérance and their supporters, some of whom were involved in physical altercations with the Yellow Nation after the game, resulting in ugly scenes. The Brazilians will hope that security will be on high alert to ensure they play under safer conditions in Tunisia, with the battle being decided on the pitch.

Although Sundowns may seem to have the advantage on the scoreboard, Cardoso begs to differ. Having coached the Tunisian giants last season, he knows they are a different animal on home soil.

“Believe me, we have to play there to win, but that doesn’t mean we have to be naïve in attack,” Cardoso said, in his post-match press conference.

“We need to know how to attack because the moment you do that, you also suffer. That is when Espérance are very strong. We need to cope with those situations — cover the spaces, be wise when we lose possession, and be aggressive on set-pieces because they have good aerial players as well.”

Cardoso knows that “the Champions League is not for boys, but men.” Given that Sundowns have fallen short since 2019, he believes they hadn’t applied themselves correctly in previous campaigns.

The Portuguese-born coach has been at Sundowns for five months now, and he believes they are a fully-fledged team capable of getting a result anywhere. As they prepare for what will be a hostile atmosphere at Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi on Tuesday, Cardoso has no doubt they will cope.

“We need to be focused — we can score there. We’ve been scoring everywhere, so that’s very important,” Cardoso explained.

“I am not overly optimistic — I am just cautious about what lies ahead. A very strong Sundowns team can go through to the semi-finals.

“So, I hope that we can arrive there and perform very, very well as a team. If we don’t play to our limits, we’ll be very close to where we want to be as a team.

“They’ll be pushed by their Ultras until the last minute. But it’s football … the Champions League brings out the best in players and emotions!”

Sundowns should be well-equipped to handle any challenges they face in Tunisia, given their preparation for the match. Cardoso knows Espérance well, and the PSL has extended their preparation period by postponing their clash against Stellenbosch, which was originally scheduled for the weekend.

The 52-year-old had previously criticised the league for not supporting them by failing to postpone domestic matches ahead of African fixtures. However, while Sundowns may have had extra rest and possess individual brilliance, Cardoso has outlined what they need to do to secure victory in Tunisia.

“We’ll depend a lot on the players. Let’s hope they bring out their best and feel they’ve had enough rest,” Cardoso explained. “Let’s also hope they commit themselves with team spirit. That means going there and playing football!”