Despite defeat in the CAF Champions League final to Pyramids FC in Cairo on Sunday evening, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso was still immensely proud of his charges.
Sundowns lost 2-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate over the two legs, after the 1-1 draw in Pretoria a week prior.
After the first leg, it was always going to be a difficult proposition to beat the Egyptian outfit on their home turf.
That task became even more daunting when Fiston Mayele opened the scoring for the hosts inside the first 25 minutes, and then Ahmed Samy doubled the scoreline for Pyramids just ahead of the hour mark. Iqraam Rayners pulled a goal back in the 75th minute, but Sundowns fell one strike short of what would have won them the title through the away goal rule.
After the match, Cardoso was quick to point out the number of high-profile teams his side had dispatched during the premier African competition.
Sundowns’ Impressive Journey to the Champions League Final
“I would like to remind everyone that on the way to the final, we played Al Ahly, who are still the first team in the CAF rankings, and we beat them in the semi-final, and we played Esperance, and we beat them, and they are second in the CAF rankings,” said coach Cardoso.
“And when we arrived at Sundowns, the club was struggling to pass the group stages of the Champions League. We had an immediately very tough game against Raja Casablanca, in a very tough group, which also had AS FAR. We were able to make the group stage.”
As Sundowns also won the Betway Premiership this season— their eighth league title in a row— producing top performances in the Champions League was especially pleasing for Cardoso.
“Throughout the tournament, our players were able to show great commitment, great attitude, and also quality, and getting them to the final obviously makes me very proud.
“The feeling when you play a final and you don’t win, the defeat is obviously very bitter, very disappointing. But as I said before the match…I have a wonderful group of men in my locker room who are at this moment suffering, but they will get up as true champions that they are.”
@Michael_Sherman
IOL Sport
