Mamelodi Sundowns’ coach Miguel Cardoso elaborated on his tactical decision to forgo a conventional striker in the CAF Champions League semi-final’s second leg against Al Ahly, a strategy that successfully led his team to the final.

Thanks to the away goals rule, Cardoso’s team advanced to the final after a goalless draw in the first leg and a 1-1 tie in the second leg at Cairo International Stadium on Friday. They will face Pyramids FC, who pulled off an unexpected 3-2 aggregate victory over Orlando Pirates the same day.

The first leg of the final is set for 24 May, with the return match on 1 June. Amasandawana aims to secure the Champions League trophy for the first time since 2016.

Opting for a front three of Lucas Ribeiro Costa, along with Thapelo Morena and Tashreeq Matthews, was a surprising move as regular strikers Igraam Rayners and Peter Shalulile started on the bench.

The 52-year-old coach stated that this tactical decision was influenced by his assessment of Al Ahly’s formidable central defense.

“This decision was tailored to the attributes of Al Ahly’s players,” Cardoso remarked.

“We identified that their center backs thrive in physical confrontations. Our goal was to exhaust them, take advantage of openings, and emphasize agility. That was our approach.”

He added, “Naturally, it was challenging to bench key players like Peter and Igraam, or even Themba [Zwane]. However, football prioritizes tactical concepts over individual talent. When players adeptly execute the coach’s plans, the game simplifies.”

This strategy yielded positive results. When Rayners and Shalulile entered the match later, Al Ahly’s defense, which had scored first through Taher Mohamed, began to exhibit fatigue. A flick-on from Zwane led to Yasser Ibrahim inadvertently scoring an own goal, equalizing in the dying moments.

This marked Sundowns’ third final appearance in this tournament.

“We were aware we could introduce these players at crucial times, and that’s exactly what we did to infuse more aggression into our attack,” Cardoso clarified.

“We aimed to exploit the fatigue of their defense. In football, there’s always a bit of luck involved, which I believe we earned. We created the right circumstances for that luck, scored, and thereafter it was about effectively managing the game.”

As the two-legged Champions League final draws near next month, the African powerhouse will shift focus to domestic competition, preparing to host Richards Bay at Loftus Versveld Stadium in the Betway Premiership on Wednesday at 19:30.

Article by Kamogelo Ndlovu