‘To score 5 goals against a team that are champions of Nigeria is not easy,’ said the Sundowns head coach.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso praised his side’s professionalism after their emphatic 5-1 victory over Remo Stars in the CAF Champions League preliminary second-round first leg match at the M.K.O. Abiola International Stadium on Sunday.
Sundowns in total command
Goals from Tashreeq Matthews, Peter Shalulile, Miguel Reisinho, Arthur Sales and Katlego Ntsabeleng gave Sundowns the victory, while Stars attacker Samson Olasupo netted a late consolation for the hosts.
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The result puts the Brazilians in a commanding position ahead of the return leg in Tshwane next Sunday, where the aggregate winner will advance to the group stages of Africa’s premier club competition. Speaking after the match, Cardoso emphasised the amount of detailed preparation that went into studying the Nigerian champions.
“We saw six matches from Remo Stars. Not only from the two qualifying matches from the previous round of the Champions League but we also saw four matches from their championship,” he explained.
“I even went as far back as last year for their game they played against AS FAR. That’s how much we studied them and that’s also the commitment you need to have when you play these kinds of matches by going deep when studying your opponent. If you don’t study a team like this, you will be surprised.”
Cardoso credited his players for clinical performance in Abuja. Going to the break leading 2-0 in what was a physical encounter, Sundowns put three more goals past Stars goalkeeper Serge Obassa after the restart.
“It’s not easy to play against a team that has a lot of man-to-man marking all over the pitch. I think the players understood very well the work we put in since we gathered to prepare for this match. It was a matter of keeping a good attitude because to score 5 goals against a team that are champions of Nigeria is not easy,” he added.
Despite the commanding scoreline, the Portuguese tactician warned against complacency, insisting that the tie is not yet over. Sundowns will return home full of confidence, knowing that another solid display at Loftus Versfeld will secure their passage to the group stages and keep their quest for continental glory on track.
“It’s important to understand that this is the first match even though there’s a big scoreline. We have to respect football,” Cardoso cautioned.
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“We need to go in the second match as seriously as possible because the qualifying round is not finished. I want to congratulate my players for the work they did and the commitment they showed.”
