Miguel Cardoso coach of Mamelodi Sundowns reacts during the CAF Champions League Final first Leg match against AS FAR as they prepare for the second leg.
Image: BackpagePix
Mamelodi Sundowns have faced every possible negative headlines this week ahead of their CAF Champions League final second leg against AS FAR.
After winning the first leg 1-0 courtesy of an Aubrey Modiba wonder freekick in Tshwane on Sunday, there has been a shortage of positive headlines.
Even immediately after Sunday's match, the screaming reaction was that they had squandered chances when they should have scored more goals to cement their home advantage.
Indeed, that criticism is warranted considering that Sundowns really should have won by a more respectable scoreline given the chances they created.
However, you have to feel for Sundowns. While they were dealing with that criticism, they were subjected to airport delays when they were denied a landing permit in Rabat — "special treatment" coming courtesy of their beloved hosts, the "brotherly" Moroccans.
With the assistance of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Sundowns finally jetted off to Rabat on a charter flight on Wednesday — thanks to their deep pockets, as they are owned by the billionaire Motsepe family.
To top it all, there were two headlines that must have been weighing heavily on coach Miguel Cardoso's mind. Sundowns fans have been trolling him on social media, directing serious outbursts at Cardoso with reference to a statement he made some weeks ago.
The Portuguese mentor blurted out that some people from South Africa had handed AS FAR video intelligence of their match preparations after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Kaizer Chiefs in the league match that brought Pirates back to the title race.
It was the second time this season that Cardoso had made such remarks; in February, a member of the Sundowns technical team, Mario Masha, was suspended after Cardoso accused him of sending their match plans to former coach Rulani Mokoena, who was leading MC Alger at the time.
This has been perceived by some football followers as Cardoso's way of making excuses just in case they fail to win the Champions League and possibly end the season trophyless, as they look set to lose the Betway Premiership title to Orlando Pirates.
That is where the other sting comes from; for Sundowns to finish their league matches early and leave Pirates with a chance to take the title, it was always going to require serious mental strength to forget about matters relating to the domestic league.
Sundowns were supposed to fly out on Tuesday, and that 24-hour delay meant losing a day of training. If there is a silver lining to this, it is hard to see.
At least Sundowns are not new to all this. This is Sundowns' second Champions League final in a row, and Cardoso’s third consecutive. There could be no better combination.