Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso believes that their CAF Champions League group will only be decided in the final match of the group stage.
Masandawana suffered a 2–1 defeat to Al Hilal in Kigali, Rwanda. After four matches, Sundowns have recorded just one victory, along with two draws and one loss.
As a result, they currently sit second in the group with five points, while Al Hilal lead the standings on eight points, with two matches still remaining.
Reflecting on the situation, Cardoso said that when he arrived at Sundowns last year, the team found itself in a similar position at this stage of the competition.
He explained that his focus was on steadying the team and preventing their campaign from collapsing, a task that ultimately saw them qualify for the knockout phase and eventually for the final.
The coach remains confident that the group is still wide open and will only be settled in the final round of match.
“As I said last year, when I arrived in the club last year, we were in a difficult situation,” said Cardoso.
“We played two, the first match home, we won and we lost away. I feel the fourth match, we had five points exactly like now.
“Obviously, there’s still a match to play and we will see what is going to happen. But for sure, it’s tight, five points is not enough.
“We need to think that next game is very important, probably not decisive depending on the result. But I think this group will be decided in the last match.”
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