Cardoso demands Champions League focus from Sundowns in MTN8 final

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says his side must approach Saturday’s MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates with the same intensity they would bring to a CAF Champions League match.

Sundowns are aiming to reassert their dominance in South African domestic football, but face a Pirates team that ended their reign as Betway Premiership champions last season. The final will be played at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium at 18:00.

Although Sundowns have been the most successful team in South African football in recent years, including a run of eight consecutive league titles before last season’s setback, their record in domestic cup competitions has been less impressive. Their most recent domestic knockout trophy came in the Nedbank Cup in 2022.

Cardoso and his coaching staff are targeting a change in that record after Sundowns’ recent success in continental and intercontinental competition. The club won the CAF Champions League and FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup.

“We know the responsibility of a match like this. We don’t take that away. We want to do well. For some time, myself and the coaching staff, we’ve never played in a domestic cup final. So, it’s obviously an important moment for us as well,” Cardoso said.

However, the Portuguese coach warned that the final must be viewed in the context of a demanding schedule.

“But it’s just the next match,” he added.

“We will play on Tuesday, immediately after [the final]. We will also play on the weekend, the Champions League [group stage] qualifiers. Of course, those are the objectives that we have to put in front, regarding the preparations and risk of playing players that are not 100%.

“But when we go for the match, we will go with full intentions and commitment. We understand what is at stake, and would like to continue the season in the best possible way. We’ll take nothing for granted.”

Pirates will provide a major test. They are Sundowns’ closest domestic rivals and are bidding to win the MTN8 for a fifth successive year, which would extend their record run in the competition. They are also on course to return to the CAF Champions League next season.

Cardoso expects a high-quality contest and said Sundowns must remain fully focused throughout.

“We are very observant of everything. It means that we’ll have to prepare ourselves in detail. It will be a very high-level match; absolutely the same level as the Champions League because Orlando Pirates are a high-level team,” he said.

“They are full of quality players. But it will be another match. What will speak for us is at the end of the season. So, we have to strike a balance, because throughout the season there are a lot of challenges that we have to approach differently, with the aim of doing as best as we can.”