Sundowns confident of Champions League final success despite first-leg setback

Daily Maverick

28-05-2025

The pressure will be on Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg of their Champions League final against Egypt's Pyramids FC after the Brazilians conceded an away goal in the last minute of their opening leg draw.
On Wednesday, 28 May, Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso turned 53. There was little time to celebrate, though. Cardoso is busy trying to orchestrate the second African Champions League success in Sundowns' history.
The first of two legs ended in a 1-1 draw. This was after Egyptian side Pyramids equalised in injury time in Pretoria on Saturday. The late leveller would have been a frustrating development for Masandawana, especially because it handed Pyramids a marginal psychological edge through the away goals rule.
'We need mental strength because everything is still open. Pyramids know that too,' Cardoso said. 'The better team will win the return leg, and we will play the same way we play every match. We must show the greatest desire.'
Cairo final woes
History is also not on Sundowns' side ahead of Sunday's second leg in Cairo. Participating in their third Champions League final, Sundowns have never scored in an away leg of a Champions League final in the Egyptian capital. Against Al Ahly in 2001, they were hammered 3-0 in Cairo on the back of a 1-1 draw at home.
When they won their maiden African title in 2016, they went to Cairo to face Zamalek with a healthy 3-0 cushion. They then went down 1-0 in the Egyptian capital. The hope is that their latest quest in Cairo will deliver a different outcome. It has to if they want to reclaim their title as Africa's best.
'The attitude of champions is seen when things don't go well. Because when things are just flowers and everything is beautiful, it's very easy to be a champion,' said Cardoso.
'Champions get up when things are [tough] and they show themselves in difficult situations. We have a match of 90 minutes to play. So, we have to take the responsibility of playing to score [at least] one goal and go from there,' the Portuguese tactician said.
'We have all the capacity and strength to go there and fight with them. I knew that it would be a difficult match, [but] it's an opportunity to show our character,' Cardoso said.
Globetrotters
Speaking at an event where Sundowns announced Carling Black Label as a partner for their foray into the expanded Fifa Club World Cup next month, club chairperson Tlhopie Motsepe said the Brazilians would love nothing more than to step on to the global stage as African champions.
'We want to go to the Club World Cup as African champions. We started the season wanting to be African champions,' Motsepe said.
'If we rewound to the start of the season and you told me we'd be in our current position, having drawn 1-1 and you have it all to play for in a second leg away from home, I would have been so excited… The opportunity that we have is an exciting one,' Motsepe said.
Sundowns will represent Africa at the World Cup alongside Al Ahly (Egypt), Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and Tunisia's Espérance. The Brazilians are in Group F of the expanded 32-team World Cup, which will be played in the US from 15 June to 13 July.
They will be compete with Germany's Borussia Dortmund, plus Brazilian side Fluminense and Ulsan of South Korea.
Heading into the tough global quest with Champions League gold would serve as a major boost for what will be the minimum target of reaching the knockout stage. A top-two finish in their group guarantees this.
But first, they must knock down the resilient Pyramids to become the most successful South African side in the Champions League. They are level with Orlando Pirates on one win apiece.
With Pyramids being established as recently as 2008 and participating in just their second Champions League campaign, the pressure will be on serial South African champions Sundowns to see off the Egyptians, away from home. This would present Cardoso with the perfect birthday gift. DM