Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has revealed what he expects from Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi when they clash on Saturday.
‘Masandawana’ host Amakhosi at a sold-out Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium this Saturday, 1 March, aiming to extend their dominant run in the Betway Premiership.
With an impressive 17 wins from 19 league matches, the Tshwane giants lead the table by a significant 15 points over second-placed Orlando Pirates. But ‘The Buccaneers’ have four games in hand.
This will be Cardoso’s first encounter with ‘The Phefeni Glamour Boys’ since taking charge of Sundowns in December.
During Thursday’s pre-match press conference, when asked if he anticipated a defensive approach from Nabi given Sundowns’ attacking prowess, Cardoso stated he believed the Tunisian coach would maintain his attack-minded philosophy.
Cardoso went on to express his respect for Nabi, acknowledging the extensive experience that the former Young Africans coach has acquired.
CARDOSO EXPRESSES RESPECT FOR NABI
“I don’t think he will change his general approach on the game. He can strategically adapt certain principles, and we can also adapt ourselves,” said Cardoso.
“He’s not just any kid that is coaching in football for the first time. I have respect for him. He knows what he’s doing, and he wants to develop his team, which is what he wants because he’s preparing for the future of the club.
“Obviously, these games have different contexts. What I mean is these games bring something different. They highlight the best of the team and the best of the players.
“That’s why there’s always so much excitement for these teams. But most of the time, these kinds of games are not always the best ones or technically well played matches. But sometimes they are. In Portugal, they aren’t.
”When you see Benfica vs Sporting or Porto vs Benfica or Sporting vs Porto, usually the matches are narrow or close and more aggressive and not so well played.
“With Pirates [where Sundowns won 4-1], it was not a beautiful match, it was a competitive match but with a lot of tactical things happening during the match.
“So, that’s what I expect also from this match.”
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