Cardoso to approach second leg tie as a standalone challenge despite away leg win
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As anticipation builds for Saturday’s decisive TotalEnergies CAF Champions League semi-final second leg, Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has made it clear that his side is approaching the encounter with renewed focus and determination, rather than dwelling on past results.
Facing his former club, ES Tunis, Cardoso acknowledged the magnitude of the occasion but emphasised the importance of mental reset heading into the fixture.
Sundowns edged the Tunisians 1 – 0 in Tunis last weekend and will be looking to finish the job in front of their home fans on Saturday.
“The emotions and the place where we stand is obviously a place where we see the responsibility of such a match. But our thoughts have nothing to do with what we did in the previous one. It's a door that we closed.”
The Portuguese tactician is keen to ensure that his players adopt a forward-looking mindset, treating the second leg as a standalone challenge rather than a continuation of previous events.
“We look at this match as one that we want to win. We want to play to win, we want to be a strong team, and we want to be very capable.”
Cardoso underlined the need for intensity, discipline, and belief, stressing that his side must create the right conditions to compete at the highest level and secure a positive outcome.
“We want to face it with the maximum sense of will to produce a result - a result that has to be taken seriously in terms of approach, regarding how we look, how we fight, and how we create conditions to fight for a victory.”
With a place in the final at stake, Sundowns will be expected to deliver a composed and assertive performance against a formidable ES Tunis side familiar with high-pressure continental clashes.
Saturday’s encounter promises to be a thrilling battle as both teams vie for a coveted spot in Africa’s most prestigious club competition.
