Latest news with #Brazilians'
TimesLIVE
02-06-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Should coach Cardoso be fired after Sundowns' loss in the Champions League final?
It might seem crazy to ask whether a coach who has just steered his team to the final of the Caf Champions League, but lost, should keep his job. However, there are heated discussions on social media as fans debate the point. Portuguese Miguel Cardoso, who arrived at Sundowns in December to replace Manqoba Mngqithi — with the Brazilians' battles in the group stage a major reason for the change — took Downs to the final, as he had with Esperance de Tunis in his previous campaign. As with Esperance, who lost 1-0 on aggregate to Al Ahly, Cardoso could not steer Sundowns to the trophy, which would have been their first Champions League title since winning Africa's premier interclub competition in 2016. It was their first final in the competition since then. Many will argue Downs were unfortunate in their 3-2 aggregate final defeat against Egypt's Pyramids FC. In the first leg at Loftus Versfeld two Saturdays ago, Walid El Karti's equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw came deep in added time, in the final seconds. In the second leg two superb saves off his legs by Pyramids goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawy denied Tashreeq Matthews and Peter Shalulile almost certain goals.
TimesLIVE
29-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Motsepe says Sundowns are going to bolster their squad for next season
In news that is likely to send chills down the spine of all other Betway Premiership teams, Mamelodi Sundowns chair Tlhopie Motsepe says they are going to venture into the market to bolster their squad. The Brazilians' squad is already notably strong and this was proved by the impressive manner in which they won their eighth successive league Premiership and reached the Champions League final this season. Downs drew 1-1 in the first leg of the final against Pyramids at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, leaving the tie delicately poised. This year, Sundowns made big money moves on the transfer market to sign Jayden Adams, Lucas Suárez, Keanu Cupido and Lebo Mothiba and recalled Matias Esquivel from his loan spell with Club Atlético Talleres in Argentina. Cupido and Esquivel have seen little action since they arrived at Chloorkop, while former Bafana Bafana attacker Mothiba is yet to kick a ball as he continues to work on his fitness after a long injury layoff. In the recent past, Downs have recruited their headline signings mainly in South America, but Motsepe did not go into details about where they are going to find new players and which positions are going to receive attention to help coach Miguel Cardoso. Hlompho Kekana is confident Sundowns will be able to get a good result in Cairo. WATCH full interview ➡️➡️➡️ — Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) May 28, 2025 'We will go into the market to look for the type of players that complement what we are tying to achieve,' he said. 'We have a wonderful sporting director in Flemming Berg, his assistant and our board. We are going to try our best to make sure the Sundowns you see next year is the one that is building for better things to come.' After the Champions League final Sundowns have another international assignment in the expanded, 32-team Fifa Club World Cup in the US in June and July. 'The season is drawing to a close, it is going be a difficult because our preseason is going to be cut short. It is going to be important to find new players and give the coach the preseason he didn't have [arriving in December of the 2024-25 campaign]. 'Last year, the coach came at a time when he didn't have time to pick his players or get to establish his style of football. These are opportunities that coaches get when they have a preseason behind them. 'Taking that into consideration and seeing that we are in the final of the Champions League with the players he found there, it has been an incredible achievement and testament to the character they have.' Mothobi Mvala calls on experienced players to stand up and be counted in Cairo. WATCH full interview ➡️➡️➡️ — Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) May 28, 2025 A win over Pyramids is important for Sundowns as they chase their second continental title, and Motsepe said it would be good to go to the Club World Cup as African champions. 'It will be a bonus to go there as African champions; it is a motivation and something we want to do. We have that opportunity to participate in the Champions League final on Sunday. 'Playing in the final is something we have longed for and we cherish as a football club. It is something we try to achieve every season and something we will continue to strive for. It is a wonderful opportunity and we have faith in the players and technical team.' Motsepe said Downs remain committed to playing the attractive brand of football the club has become renowned for, including next month in the US where they meet South Korea's Ulsan HD (June 17), Borussia Dortmund (June 21) and Fluminense (June 25) in Group F. 'We have a responsibility to play daring and entertaining football, to give people hope through football. We are going there not to limit our ability as a football club, we are going to show the world African excellence. 'When we got there in 2016, we were happy to be there and share our culture and who we were. We have learnt a lot of lessons and we go there wiser, stronger and bolder.'
The Citizen
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Sundowns' Komphela: ‘We won't drown in sorrow'
"It (late goal) will deflate you but champions are born out of such tragedies and you just have to show resilience," Komphela said. Steve Komphela, senior coach of Mamelodi Sundowns after the CAF Champions League 2024/25 final match against Pyramids at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on 24 May 2025 ©Nokwanda Zondi/BackpagePix Mamelodi Sundowns senior coach Steve Komphela has issued a message of defiance following his side's 1-1 draw against Egypt's Pyramids FC in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final at Loftus Versfeld. Lucas Ribeiro's second-half goal had put the home side ahead, but Walid El Karti's dramatic stoppage-time equaliser silenced the Brazilians' faithful and handed Pyramids a vital away goal. ALSO READ: Sundowns' Maema expresses disappointment at Pyramids draw The result means Sundowns must now score in the return leg in Cairo to have any hope of lifting their second Champions League crown, nine years after their first. Speaking after the match, Komphela struck a composed yet defiant tone, urging the players to regroup and focus on the second leg where they will be under pressure to produce a good performance. 'It (late goal) will deflate you but champions are born out of such tragedies and you just have to show resilience and mental strength. The minute you drown yourself in that sorrow, then you won't rise,' Komphela said. 'It's very important to say okay it has happened but did I lose or did I learn? The lessons we picked up here should take us forward. Pyramids know that they have a problem as well because in as much as they scored away, but we'll have to go back to Cairo and make life difficult for them. 'They are a good team and they also have a good backing and you don't reach a CAF Champions League final by fluke. These guys came here and you saw they played and we've seen in their own domestic league that they are impeccable. They have a lot of good players but Sundowns is equally a good team. The coach praised the quality of the opposition but made it clear that Sundowns are equally formidable. The decisive second leg will be played on Sunday at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo where a goalless draw will see Pyramids crowned champions. With experienced campaigners like Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, and Khuliso Mudau in the squad, Komphela is confident the team can handle the pressure. 'Sundowns is very experienced and we have been through rough terrains,' the 57-year-old added. 'You have players like Mokoena, Williams and Mudau and apart from being experienced at club football, they come from the national team and they have impeccable national team experience and exposure. ALSO READ: OPINION: Cardoso must take responsibility for Sundowns' missed opportunity 'So we are not going to chicken out, we played in Morocco and we were courageous and we went to Al-Ahly and we were courageous too and we came through. Nothing will stop us, and without being arrogant, but we have to go there and play our game.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stablecoins stoke volatility in Brazil capital flows, says central banker
LONDON (Reuters) -The surge in popularity of U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins as a way of transferring money abroad is increasing the volatility of Brazilian capital flows, Brazil's central bank deputy governor said on Tuesday. Brazilians' crypto asset usage has surged over the past two to three years, with around 90% of the flow linked to stablecoins - digital money pegged to leading currencies like the U.S. dollar - its central bank estimates. Deputy Governor Renato Gomes said one of the "worrisome" issues was that they can be a way to bypass the normal checks and balances for converting Brazilian real into dollars and transferring it in and out the country. "They offer a bypass instance," Gomes said at a conference in London hosted by monetary policy think-tank OMFIF. "You can get the stablecoins, and when you get to the United States or anywhere else, you can cash out the stablecoin and essentially use an account in dollars without all the usual regulation." It is a route being "heavily used" for remittances he added. One straightforward example is that some traditional ATMs in parts of the U.S. now allow dollars to be withdrawn from some stablecoin wallets. "Capital flows become more volatile," Gomes said, "essentially because almost anyone can use stablecoins to send money in and out of the country." There are regulatory issues too. The largest issuer of Brazilian real-backed stablecoins was based in Switzerland, for example, Gomes said. "We don't have reach on these issuers," he said. "So in a sense, regulating the issuers of stablecoins is something that's going to require a lot of international cooperation."
The Star
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Stablecoins stoke volatility in Brazil capital flows, says central banker
A representation of cryptocurrency Tether is placed on a PC motherboard, in this illustration taken June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo LONDON (Reuters) -The surge in popularity of U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins as a way of transferring money abroad is increasing the volatility of Brazilian capital flows, Brazil's central bank deputy governor said on Tuesday. Brazilians' crypto asset usage has surged over the past two to three years, with around 90% of the flow linked to stablecoins - digital money pegged to leading currencies like the U.S. dollar - its central bank estimates. Deputy Governor Renato Gomes said one of the "worrisome" issues was that they can be a way to bypass the normal checks and balances for converting Brazilian real into dollars and transferring it in and out the country. "They offer a bypass instance," Gomes said at a conference in London hosted by monetary policy think-tank OMFIF. "You can get the stablecoins, and when you get to the United States or anywhere else, you can cash out the stablecoin and essentially use an account in dollars without all the usual regulation." It is a route being "heavily used" for remittances he added. One straightforward example is that some traditional ATMs in parts of the U.S. now allow dollars to be withdrawn from some stablecoin wallets. "Capital flows become more volatile," Gomes said, "essentially because almost anyone can use stablecoins to send money in and out of the country." There are regulatory issues too. The largest issuer of Brazilian real-backed stablecoins was based in Switzerland, for example, Gomes said. "We don't have reach on these issuers," he said. "So in a sense, regulating the issuers of stablecoins is something that's going to require a lot of international cooperation." (Reporting by Marc JonesEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
