Mamelodi Sundowns head coach shares his expectations for the final

On Saturday, during the pre-match press conference, Miguel Cardoso spoke about his expectations ahead of the CAF Champions League final.

Details: Cardoso shared his thoughts on the upcoming match:

Playing the second leg of the Champions League final is a decisive moment for everyone involved regarding the outcome. But I believe it's also a moment for us to celebrate not just football itself, because this should be a great occasion to showcase the quality of African football.

Also, the teams playing in this final, and the referees officiating, are all aware that they must perform at the highest level—at the very peak of this African football season. And this should be taken as a highly positive responsibility.

On his expectations for his team:

For me, as the head coach of Mamelodi, it's obviously a major achievement and an incredible feeling to have the chance to lead these fantastic players into a game they have dreamed of their entire lives. That's the emotion we need to embrace in the final minutes before kick-off, and then throughout the match.

We need to enjoy playing in this match and, most importantly, let go of negativity to be able to perform at our absolute best. That's my wish for the game—to see the boys playing at their maximum level.

On the importance of winning the South African league and comparing it to Champions League success:

If you've won seven league titles, you shouldn't devalue the eighth or think it's easy. When you see our rivals celebrating the trophies they've managed to win in recent years, you realize just how significant your achievements in the league are.

The way we won the South African league this season will go down in history, because we beat the best Orlando Pirates team in their club's history by 12 points. We broke nearly every record in the book. So it's not something that happens every year, but it has nothing to do with what will happen today.

On the result of the first leg:

Of course, we understand we didn't get the result we wanted in the first match. We believe we could have played better than we did. We know we can be better, we know we have the will, the intent, and the quality to succeed, but we also recognize we're playing against one of the two best teams in Africa this season.

We need to be mindful of every key moment in the game, to answer your question. It's not just about worrying about Pyramids' counterattacks; we're concerned about their defensive organization, their set pieces, because they can score at any moment.

On his mindset ahead of the return leg:

This afternoon, I spoke with the club chairman. He looked at me and said, "You seem so relaxed, what's happened to you?" And my answer was very, very, very simple. When you understand that, as a person, there are things far more important than winning a trophy, then you find peace for your soul and the freedom to be at ease with yourself.

See also: Pyramids vs. Mamelodi Sundowns: When and where to watch the CAF Champions League final online on June 1