Sundowns coach Cardoso admits to feeling heat on Caf, cups

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says expectations on the team to win the Caf Champions League and domestic titles have put the players under pressure.

Having cantered to the Betway Premiership title for a record eight successive seasons, Downs have not done well in knockout competitions.

The last time they won the Champions League was in 2016, and the last domestic cup they won was the Nedbank Cup in the 2021-2022 season .

Every season there is talk about the Brazilians winning the Champions League again, but they failed to lift the trophy in the last campaign, losing to Egyptian side Pyramids FC in the final.

“There’s increased permanent pressure on my players regarding the Champions League and cups,” Cardoso said.

“As much as they are professionals and experienced and should deal with it, it’s not that simple because in the end we’re all human.

“In all press conferences for the Champions League, before and after, even when we go abroad, there’s always that question of when are we going to put the second star on our badge?”

With pressure on Cardoso to deliver titles this season, he has turned the team’s attention to the Nedbank Cup, where they face Gomora United in the last 32 at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday (7pm).

Cardoso promised his side will not take Gomora lightly and stressed Downs need to approach the game seriously.

“The first mistake [other teams] can make is assuming they will be hungrier than my players because that’s one of the things that can take away what is theoretically our advantage,” he said.

“The same expectations and responsibility apply. It is a long way to go, and the first step for us is Gomora, a team we recently played in a friendly match and an opponent we have to respect. We will approach the match with seriousness.

“I think [Sundowns] have had issues managing cup competitions. We’ve had a tendency to drop and hold on when we’re in control of the result, and that’s something we need to change in the mindset.”

Sowetan