Miguel Cardoso on why his captain made a decision in the Pyramids game!

The echoes of Walid El Karti's 94th-minute equalizer still reverberated through Loftus Versfeld when Miguel Cardoso found himself defending the toughest decision of his Sundowns tenure. What should have been a triumphant press conference after Lucas Ribeiro Costa's second-half strike instead became an exercise in damage control, with the Portuguese tactician steadfastly justifying his controversial call to bench talismanic midfielder Themba Zwane.

Under the glaring lights of the post-match interrogation, Cardoso's measured responses revealed a coach acutely aware of football's fickle nature. "We judge every player equally," he stated, his voice carrying the weight of a man who knows continental football's fine margins. His carefully selected words painted a picture of tactical balance disrupted not by poor selection, but by a single moment of defensive lapse in an otherwise controlled performance.

The irony wasn't lost on the Sundowns boss. For 93 minutes, his decisions appeared vindicated - Ribeiro's goal separating the sides, Pyramids frustrated. Then came El Karti's intervention, transforming what would have been plaudits for strategic brilliance into pointed questions about squad management. "Football's cruelty lies in its timing," Cardoso mused, acknowledging how victory's fragrance had so abruptly soured to stalemate.

As Sundowns prepare for their Cairo crucible, the narrative has subtly shifted. What was meant to be a manageable lead taken to Egypt now becomes a perilous trip into the unknown, with Cardoso's every future selection under heightened scrutiny. The ghosts of Pitso Mosimane's 2016 triumph whisper through Chloorkop, reminding all that continental glory demands both courage in decisions and fortune in moments.

For now, Cardoso's mission is clear - to ensure one moment of concession doesn't unravel months of preparation. "We stay strong," he affirmed, knowing full well that in Africa's premier club competition, second legs have a habit of revealing true character. The Cairo cauldron awaits, and with it, the ultimate test of Cardoso's conviction.