Fresh off securing a spot in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final for the third time in their history, Mamelodi Sundowns have quickly redirected their focus to domestic matters in the Betway Premiership.
Head coach Miguel Cardoso is wasting no time as his side returns to league action on Wednesday, when they welcome Richards Bay to Loftus Versfeld.
The Brazilians will then hit the road for a clash against Cape Town City on Saturday — a demanding turnaround following their hard-fought semi-final triumph over Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
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Despite the high stakes of the continental semifinal, Cardoso made a bold tactical decision by resting several key players. Speaking after the match, he defended the move as a calculated risk aimed at maintaining squad freshness amid a congested fixture list.
“It was a tough decision to leave out players like Peter, Iqraam and Arthur but football is not played by players but ideas. When players interpret ideas of the coach it becomes simple. We knew that we could use those players in the right moments of the game and that’s what we did to bring in aggressivity and profit from the fatigue that we put on the defence of Al Ahly,” said Cardoso.
“Also in football there is a moment where you need luck but we deserved it because we scored and after that it was a matter of managing the game until the final whistle.”
Sundowns will now face Egyptian side Pyramids FC in a two-legged final next month, starting with the first leg in Pretoria, as they seek their first CAF Champions League title since 2016.
Domestically, Sundowns sit atop the adjusted Premiership standings with 58 points from 23 matches after Royal AM’s expulsion. Orlando Pirates, currently second, have accumulated 46 points but hold three games in hand, leaving the title race still open heading into the decisive stretch of the season.
Sundowns are aiming to complete a rare continental and domestic double under Cardoso’s leadership, with the coming weeks set to define a potentially historic campaign.