Mamelodi Sundowns have mastered the art of reaching the final hurdle of the CAF Champions League, but they know that, in order to overcome that stumbling block, they need consistency from start to finish.
Sundowns reached the continental showpiece semi-final two seasons ago and improved on that last term by reaching the final. That’s why they are eager to be third-time lucky this season.
But that’s easier said than done. Sundowns can’t get carried away and think about conquering the continent at this early stage. They need to lay the perfect foundation, where they can build a solid continental campaign, starting in the group stage.
The Brazilians will host St. Eloi Lupopo – who eliminated domestic rivals Orlando Pirates in the final round of the preliminary qualifiers – in their group stage opening match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off).
On paper, despite Lupopo’s on-and-off-the-field theatrics, Sundowns are favorites to win the match, given their pedigree and the fact that Lupopo are only making their debut at this stage of the competition.
Marcelo Allende, the Brazilians’ little magician who was part of the last two heartbreaks, has reiterated what they need to do on the continent to avoid repeating past mistakes.
“I think we now know the way to get to the final,” Allende said. “I share the same sentiments as the coach: we need to take it game by game, and the most important game is this weekend.
“We need to have many detailed moments in our team. But the most important thing is that we’ll only arrive there (in the final and eventually the title) if we win a lot of matches before, in the competition. If we start thinking about the final destination and not the journey ahead, maybe we won’t arrive there.”
Sundowns have been scrutinized for their near-misses in continental football due to over-reliance on South Americans to steer them to the promised land. Critics argue that players such as Allende (who’s from Chile) fade out in Africa due to intensity, physicality, and climatic changes.
With the team having signed two new Portugal-born players – Nuno Santos and Miguel Reisinho – during the winter transfer window, there are concerns that they might not adapt to the demands of African football.
But their countryman, Cardoso, begs to differ. He stresses that it is easy for players to adapt at the club, given the positive relationship between the players, especially if someone arrives with the right attitude and mindset, making reference to Santos, who is gradually finding his feet.
“I don’t think there are a lot of differences between the games; sometimes it can be the level of the matches. But football itself is a universal language,” Cardoso continued. “We are talking about players who have played many matches and, sometimes, were national team players.
“I think the best players excel and sometimes get excited by the experience at a high level or the spotlight they can get at the level they compete on.
“I think the team is excited to start this competition, which is the best on the continent, and with the right emotions. They need to put that energy and good behavior into pursuing results until the last drop of sweat.”
Sundowns are indeed showing hunger to fight until the end in recent weeks. They had a sluggish start after missing out on two trophies – the MTN8 and Carling Knockout.
“We didn’t get the results that we wanted,” Allende admitted. “We wanted to reach two cup finals, but we couldn’t due to penalties. But the team has been collecting energy.
“We feel that we are stronger and have more availability of resources. We even know that we can be stronger in the future if we recover those results and the focus of the team. So, we need to have the right mindset to be capable of winning matches, especially at home.”
