Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has acknowledged he made a mistake with his comments that suggested poor attendance at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium last weekend.
The Tshwane giants hosted Al Ahly in Pretoria on Saturday in a CAF Champions League semi-final clash, with the match ending in a goalless draw.
Following that first-leg draw, the Portuguese mentor expressed disappointment at the “almost empty” stadium. He said he expected a full stadium, giving the team “extra energy”.
Cardoso’s claim of an empty stadium drew sharp criticism from Sundowns fans, especially on social media, who deemed the statement untrue. Ahead of the second-leg in Cairo, Cardoso has since backtracked on his statement, acknowledging he made a mistake.
In a highly-anticipated match, Sundowns will clash with the reigning African inter-club champions at the Cairo International Stadium, a 75,000-capacity venue expected to be filled to the rafters. Kick off is 18h00.
WHAT CARDOSO SAID AHEAD OF AHLY CLASH
“And like we had in South Africa, because in the beginning of the game I made that mistake when I entered the pitch, it was not really [empty], but then it got full. When I entered the pitch, I looked at the stands, but then I didn’t look more,” he explained.
“It was clear that the stadium got full or at least got very comfortable in terms of the number of people. And I made a mistake addressing that in the end.”
The Masandawana tactician said playing in big stadiums full of fans is “what we love to live.”
“That’s how we want to live our lives, that’s why we work so much. So we come for a pleasant moment, for a moment of pleasure where we’ll enjoy the ambience. I played here [Cairo] last year, and the stadium was full. And I enjoyed, we don’t feel minus because of a full stadium,” added Cardoso.
“We feel stronger, and let’s hope we can put the crowd all in silence. When they’re booing us or whistling us, it means that we’re doing well. But that’s what we live our lives for, for moments like this. For sure, we will come with the big enthusiasm and not with any kind of fear regarding people. The ambience here is strong, but it’s positive. There’s no violence or aggression, so we feel it will be a wonderful experience.”
Cardoso will be hoping to guide Sundowns to their first Champions League final in nine years. They won the competition in 2016 and have struggled to reach the final since then. For the former Esperance coach, it would be two successive finals, having lost in the final with The Taraji last season.
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