Sundowns’ Cardoso plays down Mokwena clash

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has played down any notion of a tactical showdown between himself and MC Alger manager Rulani Mokwena ahead of their CAF Champions League group-stage meeting in Algeria on Friday night.

The fixture carries added significance as Mokwena prepares to face Sundowns, the club where he spent a considerable portion of his coaching career.

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However, Cardoso was quick to steer the focus away from personal narratives when asked about coming up against the former Brazilians mentor.

“The next match is a Champions League match and we’ll analyse the team’s behavior and prepare our strategy. We’ll go there and give our best and hope our best is enough to bring back points as normal,” he said.

Cardoso is encouraged by the growing influence of his Portuguese duo, Nuno Santos and Miguel Reisinho, who are beginning to form a smooth understanding within their other Sundowns teammates. Both players impressed in last week’s 3-1 win over Saint-Éloi Lupopo, a performance that underlined the squad’s upward trajectory.

“It’s normal that there are two Portuguese (players) here and I am sure they are friends and their families share moments,” he added.

While acknowledging that their off-field relationship helps on the pitch, Cardoso stressed that their slick combinations stem from the team’s collective structure rather than personal familiarity.

He pointed to the opening goal against Lupopo as an example of how teamwork, rather than individual chemistry alone, created the breakthrough.

“What is important is that when the boys get on the pitch, they stay committed to the game plan that we have,” he concluded. 

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“We work hard in order to bring them with resources and tools to be able to face different matches. They just need to believe in those moments to believe because they have the quality.”