Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has called for a more aggressive and attacking performance from his side in the return leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round tie after being held to a goalless draw away from home.
Cardoso acknowledged the quality of their Angolan opponents, highlighting the difficulty of playing away in Angola and the challenges posed by a side that relied heavily on long balls and quick counterattacks.
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The Sundowns coach said his team had to adapt to their opponents’ approach, which made it difficult to maintain their preferred style of play and control the match.
The team was clever enough to understand that in the moments that we could not play the game we wanted to play, because it was very difficult to deal with the team that just wanted to play long balls in our back of the defence,” Cardoso said.
He admitted that Sundowns could have done better, particularly in the attacking third, where he felt they needed to show greater aggression.
We could have had more control, we could have been more aggressive in the box, mostly in the second half,” he added.
Despite his disappointment with the result, Cardoso viewed the clean sheet as a positive and expressed confidence that his team could deliver a stronger performance in front of their home supporters.
We need to be stronger than we were. We need to be more aggressive, we need to be more offensive, we need to be at the level of a team that wants to establish itself in the Champions League,” he said.
Cardoso also acknowledged that there were moments when Sundowns appeared capable of creating opportunities but struggled to maintain control as the match progressed.
He wants his players to be more decisive in the return leg, with a greater emphasis on getting players forward and committing more numbers to attack.
We need to change a few things. We need to be more aggressive, more focused on the centre and on goal. We need to be more offensive, we need to put numbers forward. We need to be braver in our offensive attitude,” Cardoso explained.
Meanwhile, the coach provided an update on the fitness of captain Ronwen Williams and midfielder Teboho Mokoena.
Mokoena was forced off after experiencing discomfort in a ligament that had previously been affected while on international duty. Cardoso said the midfielder would undergo medical examinations to determine the extent of the injury.
Williams, meanwhile, had experienced some pain following contact during training, prompting the technical team to take precautions and avoid risking a more serious injury.
Cardoso expects the goalkeeper to recover soon, although both players’ availability will depend on their respective assessments and recovery.
The Sundowns coach also pointed to the experience of Williams and Mokoena as important in helping the team manage the pressure of beginning a new Champions League campaign as defending champions, particularly with several young players in the squad.
With the return leg approaching, Cardoso has made it clear that Sundowns must improve their attacking approach while maintaining their defensive discipline as they look to secure qualification for the group stages of the competition.