Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso says he’s not feeling extra pressure to win the CAF Champions League after their Nedbank Cup semi-final exit to Kaizer Chiefs.
Chiefs stunned Sundowns on Sunday at Loftus Versfeld with a late goal in their 2-1 victory, just days after the home side had booked their place in the semi-finals of Africa’s elite club competition with a 1-0 aggregate win over Esperance Sportive de Tunis.
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They returned home on Wednesday with high motivation to book their place in the final of the domestic cup, that has been won by Orlando Pirates for the last two consecutive seasons.
With now just the league and Champions League to play for before the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Cardoso shrugged off suggestions he’s now feeling added pressure to deliver.
“Pressure on me? Pressure on me, with all due respect was when the bombs were falling 500m from my house when I was in Donetsk in 2014, that was pressure,” Cardoso said.
“Pressure is if I didn’t have my family that love, pressure is if I didn’t have a club that supports me, or people that support me, I don’t need pressure from football.
“I’m 52-years-old, it’s time I live in peace, if there’s something I count for myself, is a lot of peace, I don’t depend on the judgement of whoever, I just depend on the belief I have in myself, my people, my players.
“I do my best, wherever I am until the last day, and on the last day, whenever it will be, I leave in peace, because thank God, for many years already, I live with peace in myself.”
Sundowns now turn their attention to Al Ahly, who they are set to host in their 1st leg Champions League semi-final on Saturday 19 April at Loftus Versfeld (15h00).
