Miguel Cardoso’s 35th match in charge at Mamelodi Sundowns will come with the value of earning him legendary status at the club should he deliver the CAF Champions League.
Sundowns will be in Cairo on Sunday for the second leg of the Champions League final with the scores standing at 1-1.
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The Brazilians will be champions with a win or a higher scoring draw than the first leg.
For Cardoso, who has been at Sundowns since December winning 24, drawing six and losing four, his efforts are being noticed back home as he seeks to join Manuel Jose and become the second Portuguese to lift this trophy.
"This is a massive week for Miguel as a coach that I know," says fellow Portuguese coach Luis Goncalves.
"I have known Miguel since the time when we both worked at Sporting with him as an assistant in the first team while I was with the junior teams.
"So, playing in a Champions League decider means I will be taking even closer interest in his work since he is also a coach I talk to a lot about football.
"I think he is doing a great job in South Africa and is a modern coach with good ideas suited to the club.
"The plus is that he is a good person who likes to help his friends.
"I believe he can give more victories at Sundowns and is up to greatness with the club.
"It will be a huge achievement for Miguel to win the Champions League so that is why I say his efforts at Sundowns should not be underestimated.
"Reaching the final is already huge and winning the trophy will lift him to greatness.
"I take interest in South Africa because I would want to work there and spoke to Miguel before he went to Sundowns and made him aware of what I know.
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"If you look across the work the quality of adaptation which comes with Portuguese coaches is helping because we are able to value and respect the culture of the countries where we work," says Goncalves.
The Champions League was last won by Pitso Mosimane at Sundowns in 2016 and has proven elusive for the club since then despite the efforts they have made reaching the semi-finals thrice and quarterfinals on four occasions.
