Mamelodi Sundowns turn focus to Betway Premiership after CAF final success

Sundowns return to league action on Wednesday when they host Richards Bay at Loftus Versfeld, before travelling to Cape Town City for another fixture on Saturday — an intense schedule following their semi-final victory over Al Ahly.

Despite the pressure of a major continental semifinal, Cardoso made the brave call to start without key players, explaining his approach after the game.

"It was a tough decision to leave out players like Peter, Iqraam and Arthur but football is not played by players but ideas. When players interpret ideas of the coach it becomes simple. We knew that we could use those players in the right moments of the game and that's what we did to bring in aggressivity and profit from the fatigue that we put on the defence of Al Ahly," said Cardoso.

"Also in football there is a moment where you need luck but we deserved it because we scored and after that it was a matter of managing the game until the final whistle."

Sundowns will now face Egyptian side Pyramids FC in a two-legged final next month, starting with the first leg in Pretoria, as they seek their first CAF Champions League title since 2016.

Domestically, Sundowns sit atop the adjusted Premiership standings with 58 points from 23 matches after Royal AM's expulsion. Orlando Pirates, currently second, have accumulated 46 points but hold three games in hand, leaving the title race still open heading into the decisive stretch of the season.

Sundowns are aiming to complete a rare continental and domestic double under Cardoso's leadership, with the coming weeks set to define a potentially historic campaign.