Sundowns coach Cardoso: "We believe we can do it in the second leg"

After a disappointing 0-0 first leg draw at home in their CAF Champions League semifinal clash with Egyptian giants Al Ahly, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso attempted put a positive spin on the result.

Asked for his thoughts on the match in a post-match interview, Cardoso praised his team for not conceding while pointing out Al Ahly's defensive strategy:

"It's important to understand that not conceding is very important in these matches...I think the first half was better than the second half. But I think that everybody understood that the positioning from Al Ahly on the pitch was a very tough one with four center backs...defending in a line of six. So very difficult to enter the final third."

"We knew that it would be a match of two or three opportunities and we had to score out of them. We didn't but I believe that we can do the job over there in Cairo (in the second leg)."

Asked to speak about what will be difficult second leg in Cairo next Friday, Cardoso projected an air of confidence:

"We need to be very effective if we want to win at Al Ahly. In this kind of match, in the group stage, it is completely different (at this stage)...we can score and put some pressure on them."

Ahly will host Sundowns at the Cairo International Stadium on April 25 at 16:00 GMT. The Egyptian club are finalizing the necessary authorizations to have a capacity crowd and head coach Marcel Koller's side will certainly show more ambition in front of their fierce home support.