Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has made admission of how he’s the first one to make mistakes in his team selection ahead of their CAF Champions League semifinal first leg tie against Al Ahly.
The Brazilian made a blunder in Sundowns’ 2-1 loss to Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup this past weekend, with opposing players saying post-match that Lucas Suarez was the weakest link and target.
With Sundowns now looking to cross over the line and make the final of the Champions League, the coach was asked how prepares the 30-year-old after such a costly mistake.
The Portuguese mentor admitted that he makes mistakes, so he is not going to dwell on the past or put pressure on any of his players.
“Look the one that makes more mistakes is me before any player makes mistakes,” said Cardoso.
“Maybe I make a lot of mistakes and the first mistake I do come from the job I have is to choose players for the task. I have to choose 11. So, when I choose 11, there are 20 something [players] that already think that I made a mistake and many people also think that I made a mistake. Mistakes are part of the game.
“Well, of course, there are goals that come out of something fantastic, doesn’t relate to the mistake from the opponent, but most of them they come off small things that didn’t happen and could have happened. I don’t stay in touch with the past regarding that role to become better. Everybody works to become better. We trust that the players we have inside the group are ones that can go deal with the difficulties that a match brings, the challenges that come from there.
“Obviously, there’s also always an emotional state that we need to bring up to the players so that they can perform the proper way. As you understood whatever happened in the last match there was still time to be played, and we do not solve the question. And it’s not because of that mistake, but another mistake that we lost. I don’t want to speak about the last game, because we should always also regard the future and I’m this kind of coach that after the game finishes, I would go back on what could I have done better in that context.
“So, I always relate with my responsibility.”
Masandawana host the Red Devils at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday, 19 April.
The match will commence at 15:00.
