Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso is remaining cautious of Orlando Pirates’ goal-scoring threat ahead of the two jaguernuts’ meeting in the second leg of the MTN8 semi-final.
Sundowns walked away with a precious away-goal advantage when the two teams played to a 1-1 draw at Orlando Stadium last Saturday.
Teboho Mokoena’s first half header was cancelled out by Kamogelo Sebelebele’s late strike.
They will meet once more to settle the tie on Saturday in the second leg to be played at Lucas Moripe Stadium.
Speaking to media after the press conference, Cardoso said while he is aware of his advantage, it is unlikely that Pirates will fail to score in Attridgeville.
"Of course, we know that if we keep Pirates without scoring, we go through. But we know that Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns have the capacity to score goals in the second leg. These are two teams that usually score; it is difficult to stay at zero.
"If you think about not conceding, for sure you’re going to concede. You need to play the next match to win because if you win, you are going to go through. That’s the biggest advantage we’ve got – knowing that if we win the match at home, it is enough.
"Of course, it is good that we scored – a slight advantage in that a zero-zero draw would give us an advantage. A 1-1 is not valid, and a 2-2 is against us."
"Look, every football team must always think first about the next match because every match has an impact on what’s going to happen afterwards."
Kick-off is at 15:00.
Photo: Gallo Images/Lefty Shivambu
