Miguel Cardoso struggled to contain his excitement after leading Mamelodi Sundowns to a second successive CAF Champions League final.
The Brazilians recorded a 1-0 semi-final second leg victory over Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 Esperance Sportive de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, for a 2-0 aggregate win.
Brayan Leon scored the only goal of the game in the 35th minute as the ball came back to him after his penalty was saved by Esperance goalkeeper Bechir Said.
Leon was also the goalscorer in the first leg with a powerful header to seal a 1-0 victory.
Sundowns were finalists last season but lost to Egyptian Premier League team Pyramids FC, while Cardoso led Esperance to the Champions League final in 2024, where they lost to Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
Reflecting on the game, a delighted Sundowns head coach said in the Citizen: “I’m very excited at the moment.
Read: Mamelodi Sundowns Power Into CAF Champions League Final
“Two Champions League finals in a row, and that was the objective of the people who brought us here at the club.
“For my staff and me, it’s the hard work from the ones that come from Portugal, the ones I found here in South Africa, and the ones from Denmark,” he added.
“Everyone together has done a good job, and I want to thank all of them. I can’t finish this without thanking our fans; it’s very important that we feel their energy. They must keep following us in the league.”
“Our match in Tunis was a match of thin margins. It fell for our side because of the commitment, positioning, intensity and capacity to be together even when we don’t have the ball. Espérance is a big team,” Cardoso added as he praised the quality of their opponents.
“The team understood where we needed to be, and they created the energy. One thing we can never forget at Sundowns is that you need to play with joy. The ball is what unites us, but our hearts and commitment should be open for when we don’t have the ball.”
Sundowns will now play AS FAR Rabat in the Champions League final, after the Moroccan side beat Botola Pro 1 rivals RS Berkane 2-1 on aggregate.