Themba Zwane of Mamelodi Sundowns during training ahead of facing Stade Malien in the CAF Champions League quarter-final.
Image: BackpagePix
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has backed the character of his troops to prevail and overcome pre-match adversities ahead of their clash against Stade Malien at Loftus Versfeld in Hatfield on Friday night (8pm).
Sundowns will host Malien in the nation’s capital eager to win the CAF Champions League quarter-final first leg and take a step closer to qualifying for their third successive semi-final in the competition ahead of the second leg in Mali next Friday.
The Brazilians will head into the match under heavy strain as they did not have as much rest and preparation time as their counterparts, having played a Betway Premiership match against Orbit College FC away from home earlier in the week.
But given that Cardoso knows that to whom much is given, much is expected, he did not want to hide behind their pre-match challenges as an excuse for a poor outing in front of their supporters.
“Let’s not confuse things, please. I am not finding excuses. We don’t win with excuses, but with character and attitude,” said Cardoso during the pre-match press conference at the match venue on Thursday afternoon.
“We just state the context and do our best. We have all the conditions to play a good match. I am sure we’ll play a good match tomorrow (Friday).”
Cardoso’s charges reached the quarter-final of the continental showpiece after an impressive final group-stage match in Group C, beating MC Alger 2-0.
Heading into that match, Sundowns were under pressure to win for various reasons, including coming up against Cardoso’s immediate predecessor. That is why the Portuguese mentor has asked his troops to adopt the same fighting spirit while focusing on the reward that comes with winning every game in the knockout rounds.
*Mihlali Baleka is Independent Media's senior football reporter and a panelist on the group's soccer podcast, The D-Line, which is exclusive on our YouTube channel The Clutch