What happened at the MTN8 semi-final so far?
Mamelodi Sundowns FC head coach Miguel Cardoso’s side heads into Saturday’s MTN8 semi-final second leg at Lucas ‘Masterpieces’ Moripe Stadium with a 1-1 draw from the first leg at Orlando Stadium. A 2-0 Betway Premiership win over Magesi FC on Wednesday sharpened the team’s rhythm, but Cardoso insists the real difference will come from the stands.
Cardoso told reporters after training on Friday that the Sundowns faithful must “bring the energy” to lift his players through the final stretch. “We hope we have the Sundowns family filling our stadium so that we get energy from them like today we felt them here at Seshego Stadium,” he said.
Why Cardoso’s call matters for Sundowns
The coach framed the fixture as a chance to repay the fans’ passion with a performance that matches their noise. “It will be a beautiful match for sure,” he added. His plea comes after a gruelling FIFA Club World Cup campaign that left the squad short on recovery time before the domestic season’s return.
Cardoso also used the press conference to reset expectations around the team’s current cycle. “Look, we have 21 training sessions this season, 21. For us, it’s pre-season,” he explained. With fixtures stacked close together, he has leaned on younger players to keep intensity high and maintain the side’s aggressive edge.
How the squad is handling the schedule
The tight turnaround has forced Cardoso to rotate more than he would like, but he insists the squad is growing into its rhythm. “For sure it will be stronger in the future, and then we’ll grow,” he said. “For sure, others will join the group so that we can have more power for the objective ahead of us.”
The lads have already shown resilience, grinding out results despite the congestion. Wednesday’s clean sheet against Magesi FC extended their unbeaten run to five matches across all competitions, keeping them within touching distance of the MTN8 final.
What comes next for Sundowns
Saturday’s kick-off at 15:00 is the next step in a campaign that Cardoso hopes will peak in the MTN8 final. A win would send his side to a showpiece at Moses Mabhida Stadium on 10 August, where they could face either Orlando Pirates or SuperSport United depending on the other semi-final.
For now, the focus is on Lucas Moripe. Cardoso’s message is simple: show up, make noise, and let the players feel the heat of the home crowd. “We are on a schedule with matches one after the other,” he said. “But with the fans behind us, we can turn every game into a statement.”
