Responding to a question from a journalist in Tunisia who claimed that Sundowns isn’t playing exciting football compared to last season, the Portuguese tactician said the Champions League is about getting positive results more than anything.
“Look, Champions League matches are played for results. Last year, most of you guys [journalists] criticised the performances of Esperance on the way to the final,” Cardoso said.
“As coaches, we never worry too much about the opinions of others on how to play. I don’t want to go to the match that was played last year.
“I don’t have time to speak about coaches that are not here, and what we need to understand is what we are here to do. We know what we’re going to do, we know how we’re preparing for this match and what we need to take inside the pitch.”
The Tshwane giants go into the highly-anticipated encounter with a one-goal advantage after winning the first-leg with a 1-0 scoreline at Loftus Versfeld Stadium last week.
Sundowns and the North African side are meeting for the second successive season in the knockout stage of the Champions League, having played each other in the semi-final of the previous campaign.
In the semis of the tournament last season, the Red and Yellow knocked Sundowns out of the competition. Interestingly, the current Downs coach, Miguel Cardoso, was in charge of Esperance while Rulani Mokwena was on the opposite bench
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has addressed the criticism regarding the club’s ‘different style of play’ compared to last season.
Sundowns are preparing to lock horns with Esperance in the second-leg of the CAF Champions League quarter-final in Tunisia on Tuesday, 08 April
