Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso was critical with his side’s first-half display and parts of the second half despite beating Esperance Sportive de Tunis 1-0 at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday.
Masandawana beat the Tunisian giants 1-0 in the first leg of their CAF Champions League quarter-final first leg, courtesy of a goal by Peter Shalulile.
However, despite the first-ever win over Esperance in five attempts after three defeats and one draw, Cardoso was not happy with his side’s implementation of their game plan.
“I think the first half we were not very clever on the way we had to play,” he said on SABC Sport.
“Because the things that we knew we had to put on the pitch we didn’t. So, we ran away from the plan that we had defined that’s important to do. When you do it it’s obvious, you’ll not play the game you want to play.
“Anyway, we controlled the first half, then I think in the second half we did in the first 20 minutes what we needed to do. Out of that we got the goal, and at that moment I felt we played what we wanted to play.
“Then again we went on not the best emotions and could have continued with the same style that we wanted to have in order to go for the second goal.
“But we also need to understand the game we were playing and what team we were playing. The tie is at half-time, we have hard work ahead of us, but it’s better go with a 1-0 rather than a 1-1 or a 0-0.
“So, I’m not really excited but conscious about what have ahead and what we got.”
