Just a week after the two teams played to a 2–2 draw at Loftus Versfeld, Cardoso felt the Sudanese side looked fresher and more alert, taking full advantage of Sundowns’ demanding and congested schedule.
Despite the defeat, the Portuguese coach remains optimistic that the reigning DStv Premiership champions can still reach the quarterfinals, with two group matches remaining.
“I remember last year we were unfortunately in a similar situation after the fourth match. We lost that match and then had a difficult match away in Democractic Republic of Congo (DRC),” Cardoso said. “This time, it’s also a tough match to play in DRC against Saint‑Lupopo, and that’s what big teams must look ahead to.”
Before travelling to the DRC, Sundowns face a domestic cup fixture on Tuesday, a turnaround Cardoso described as far from ideal. “We played three days ago. It was clear at certain moments that the team was much more tired than Al Hilal, who had only just played against us,” he explained.
“Even though we changed a few players compared to the previous match, it was still obvious that we were tired. The trip itself was long, with a stopover, almost a full day of travelling. You could see the fatigue in the number of mistakes we made.”
Cardoso said the immediate priority was to return home and assess who would be fit for Wednesday’s cup tie, which he stressed remains crucial for the club. Only after that, he added, would they shift focus to the important clash against Saint‑Lupopo.
The Sundowns coach also highlighted his side’s failure to convert opportunities in the final third as a decisive factor in the result. “We lost because we didn’t convert our chances, it’s clear,” he said. “We had more than enough opportunities, especially if you exclude the last 15 minutes, when Al Hilal had several counter‑attacks because we had to take risks.”
Cardoso noted the hosts’ tactical discipline once they took the lead.
“Al Hilal know very well how to defend in numbers and then use their quick players on the break. But we still had chances, three in the first half and three or four in the second. You have to score so that you can at least earn a draw and make the game more tactical and balanced.”
He concluded that, despite the setback, Sundowns remain firmly in the hunt for qualification and will regroup quickly to tackle the challenges ahead.
–SABC/ChannelAfrica–
