Coach Miguel Cardoso says Sundowns struggled with Stade Malien’s direct style in the first half as they lost 2-0 on Sunday in Bamako.
Cardoso says it was not about football at half-time but about attitude, as Sundowns scraped through 3-2 on aggregate to the CAF semi-finals.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says he was unhappy after a sloppy performance in Bamako on Sunday, but pleased his side made the CAF Champions League semi-finals.
Sundowns lost the second leg 2-0 to Stade Malien but went through 3-2 on aggregate.
“We are not happy with the result of this match, but we are happy with the qualification,” Cardoso said. “I’m happy for the club to be in another semi-final, I’m happy for the players and the fans back in South Africa.”
Cardoso said his side failed to deal with Malien’s direct style in the first half.
“They changed their organisation and put big players upfront. We had to press them high but we didn’t, because we suffered the first goal and it created some instability,” he said.
“The pressure wasn’t strong enough so it created an opportunity for Malien to play the first half in a more comfortable space.”
He said the half-time message was not about football but about attitude.
It is Cardoso’s third straight semi-final in the competition. He lost in the final with Esperance and again with Sundowns last season against Pyramids FC. Sundowns will now face Esperance in the semi-finals.
“It looks easy when people are sitting on TV but I want to remind you that no team has won here this season,” he said. “Everybody lost and unfortunately, we also lost, which doesn’t make me happy at all, especially after a sloppy first half.”
