Miguel Cardoso, head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns during the CAF Champions League 2025/26 Final 1st Leg Mamelodi Sundowns Training at Chloorkop on 14 May 2026 ©AlcheGreeff/BackpagePix
Friday May 15, 2026. 15:23
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has called on his team to show their “proof of character” against AS FAR in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday, May 17.
Kick-off is at 4pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)
The Brazilians have one last chance to finish the season with silverware after seeing their Betway Premiership title hopes suffer a blow with a 3-2 defeat to TS Galaxy on May 12.
It was Bafana Ba Style’s final league outing of the campaign and they remain three points clear of Orlando Pirates, who still have two games left to play and only need one win to dethrone the defending champions.
Masandawana haven’t been at their best on the continent this term either, winning just two of their six matches in the group stages and losing 2-0 to Stade Malien in the second leg of the quarter-finals.
Cardoso’s side then beat his former employers ES Tunis 1-0 both home and away to reach the final for the second year in succession.
“The season is not over. The season still has two more matches to be played. It’s now time to get the energy as soon as possible for the weekend,” Cardoso said.
“The boys are surely going to show another proof of character. We’ll try to recover them as much as possible so that they can produce a good match in this Champions League final.”
Al-Zaeem are making only their second appearance in the final of Africa’s elite club competition, having won the African Cup of Champions Clubs all the way back in 1985.
The Moroccan outfit have already delivered a few surprises after they held African powerhouses Al Ahly to two draws in the group stages before eliminating holders Pyramids in the last eight.
Alexandre Santos’ side tasted defeat for only the second time in 14 games when they were beaten 1-0 by Botola Pro rivals RS Berkane in the second leg of the semi-finals, but a 2-0 victory in the first leg was enough to see them through to a historic final.
“Pressure exists in every final, but it can become a positive motivation. We are working on keeping the players calm and focused, while approaching the match with great confidence and respect for the opponent, without fear,” Santos said.
“When you reach the final, it means you deserve to be there… and we will enter the match looking for a positive result.”