‘The draw was not friendly’: Cardoso warns Sundowns of Champions League danger

Mamelodi Sundowns' coach, Miguel Cardoso, has cautioned his team about the challenges they will face when they travel to Angola to take on Wiliete in the CAF Champions League. The match, scheduled for Sunday at 5pm, marks the start of Sundowns' defence of their title, as they will encounter a team that has dominated the Girabola standings with 16 points from just six games, remaining unbeaten throughout.

Wiliete's impressive domestic form makes them a formidable opponent, despite their relatively lower profile on the continental stage. Cardoso's team received a bye in the first preliminary round due to their high seeding, while Wiliete earned their place in the second round after defeating Seychelles side Foresters 5-0 on aggregate.

The Brazilian coach urged his players to approach the tie with the seriousness it demands, emphasizing that "the draw was not friendly." Having recently returned from a successful spell in Durban, where Sundowns won the MTN8 and played a Premiership match against Richards Bay, Cardoso's squad is now preparing to manage their workload carefully during a busy period.

The Portuguese coach has already called on supporters to trust the technical team's selection decisions, explaining that rotation will be based on players' fitness, readiness, and motivation. For the defending champions, the first leg against Wiliete presents an opportunity to establish an advantage before the return fixture. However, Cardoso's message is clear: Wiliete's form demands respect, and Sundowns cannot afford to take this early obstacle in their Champions League ambitions lightly, especially when playing away from home against an opponent yet to suffer a domestic defeat this season.