Mamelodi Sundowns secured their place in the CAF Champions League final for a consecutive season after a 2-0 aggregate win over Esperance Sportive de Tunis.
After the 1-0 win over Esperance in Rades last week, Sundowns appeared confident, composed and in the mood all week during the media engagements from the players, to head coach Miguel Cardoso – with the feeling of calm and belonging at this stage of the competition.
Cardoso, who was on the losing side in the last two finals, with Sundowns and ironically, Taraji – will now face the winner between Botola Pro giants RS Berkane as ASFAR Rabat next month.
But it wasn’t an easy feat – with Esperance, an experienced campaigner in the latter stages of the competition, at their physical, robust usual self but lacked the technical quality and attacking nous – that Sundowns have in abundance.
Backed by 3000 plus passionate away support, by the time the second half started, they were nearly completely deflated due to Brayan Leon’s goal in the opening half, when he saw his penalty saved by Ben Said, only to tap home the rebound.
The sold out Loftus Versfeld went up a level – and handed Masandawana that extra energy to take control of the game and more importantly key moments – with their tactical set-up out of possesion set up to perfection.
While Onuche Ogbelu came close, hitting the the cross bar, it was a rare lapse of concentration during the 90 minutes for Sundowns that went unpunished.
Miguel Cardoso’s decision to bring off Arthur Sales for Marcelo Allende, significantly slowed the tempo of the game down and also the increase their possession – in what he described mid-week, as their best form of defence.
Allende and Jayden Adams then went on to best Said from range, in which he produced two fantastic saves to keep his side in the game.
Despite plenty of action in the latter stages, the game finished 1-0, as Cardoso masterminded wins over his former side, home and away to book a place in the 2026 CAF Champions League final.
