Cardoso turns attention to Pirates after CAF success

“We have tough questions ahead but they are beautiful ones,” said Cardoso.

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is braced for another testing week with Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu next on their Betway Premiership schedule.

The two fixtures follow the Brazilians’ confirmation of their place in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals after finishing second in Group C behind Al-Hilal.

While continental progression has boosted confidence within the camp, attention now shifts back to domestic matters and a tightly contested title race.

Sundowns make the short trip to FNB Stadium on Wednesday for a top-of-the-table showdown against the Buccaneers, before travelling to KwaZulu-Natal for another tricky assignment against Usuthu on February 24.

With the league campaign midway through, the next two matches could have a major bearing on the championship battle.

Sundowns have ‘beautiful questions’ ahead

Cardoso’s men currently sit on 32 points after 15 matches and trail log leaders Pirates by six. Sundowns have a game in hand over the Soweto giants as the race for top spot intensifies.

“Let’s enjoy the pleasure of this victory and enjoy the fact that we’re amongst the best ones on the continent again in the knockout stages,” Cardoso said after the 2-0 win over Alger at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

“We have tough questions ahead but they are beautiful ones. We’re excited about the performance of the boys. It was beautiful to see how committed they were.

“I think I was seated on the bench more than usual because there are moments where there is flow on the pitch and the boys understood what they had to do.”

New Colombian striker Brayan Leon bagged a brace in the victory over Alger in what was a must-win encounter. Qualification into the last eight eased some of the pressure that had built after inconsistent performances leading into the decisive group-stage fixture.

“You can’t win without tactics or strategy, but it’s the emotions that make the difference. Today we were very strong as a collective in bringing the right emotions and staying focused throughout the match,” Cardoso said about his team’s mentality.

“That came from a strong mindset that was developed throughout the week and that was the starting point. From there, the rest is football. One goal can put the pressure on the other side and that’s what happened. The team understood that very well, which made it very difficult for them to cope because our boys were committed.”