The Portuguese tactician, who has steered Sundowns to an impressive campaign this season, is determined to go one step further than last year-when his Esperance side fell at the final hurdle against Egyptian giants Al Ahly, Sportswire.com wrote.
This time, Cardoso's men played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Pretoria, with Lucas Ribeiro's opener for Sundowns canceled out by a late Walid El Karti header for Pyramids. Now, at the Air Defense Stadium in Cairo, Cardoso must mastermind a victory-or a high-scoring draw-to deliver Sundowns' second Champions League title and his first as head coach.
Should he succeed, Cardoso would become just the second Portuguese manager to lift the prestigious African trophy, following in the footsteps of the legendary Manuel Jose, who won four titles with Al Ahly between 2001 and 2008.
Such an achievement would further highlight the growing global influence of Portuguese coaches, who are increasingly sought after by clubs across Africa.
Despite the experience of his Croatian counterpart, Krunoslav Jurcic-who is aiming to make Pyramids the fourth Egyptian club to win the Champions League - all eyes are firmly on Cardoso.
His team's semi-final triumph over defending champions Al Ahly denied Swiss coach Marcel Koller the chance at a historic third consecutive crown and reaffirmed Sundowns' credentials as a continental force.
For Cardoso, this final also offers a personal redemption story. Now, with just 90 minutes separating him from the title, he stands on the verge of rewriting Sundowns' legacy.
Orlando Pirates winger Monnapule Saleng was a serious target for Egyptian giants Al Ahly, it has been confirmed - months after his mysterious absence from the Buccaneers' matchday squads first sparked transfer speculation.
SuperSport United CEO Stan Matthews admits talk of the sale of the Betway Premiership club was a major disruption this past season.
Despite Abdeslam Ouaddou announcing his exit from Marumo Gallants last week, the Betway Premiership club say they have received no official confirmation from the coach.
Rivaldo Coetzee and Sipho Mbule have both left Betway Premiership Champions Mamelodi Sundowns, agent Mike Makaab has revealed.
