Miguel Cardoso applauds polished Sundowns after CAF CL rout

The Brazilians produced a clinical display in Nigeria, with five different players –  Tashreeq Matthews, Peter Shalulile, Miguel Reinsinho, Arthur Sales and Katlego Ntsabeleng – all getting on the scoresheet.

Cardoso expressed satisfaction with his team’s focus and discipline, having cautioned them beforehand against underestimating a so-called minnow in continental competition.

"My impression is that we took it very seriously, that we related with a need that we had to make an approach tactically very clear considering the study we had from Remo Stars. It's good because the first goal we scored is from the one place that we knew that we could use to find a free player to kick,” Cardoso said. 

“Not easy to play against a team that has a lot of man to man marking all over the pitch. We had to find a pass break through a lot of times, to find the fourth man, so that we could find a free player. 

“A lot of mobility, we think that the players understood very well what we put in work since the day we gathered to prepare for this match and then it was a matter of keeping the attitude because to score today five goals against a team that are champions of Nigeria is not easy. 

“Of course, we could not have conceded any but I think it's also fair to take the results but also it's important that we understand that this is our first match, of course there's a big difference from the score. But we respect football and to respect football is to go on the second match with an approach that is as serious as possible because we also have responsibility and the match and the qualifying round is not finished and for sure Mamelodi Sundowns will be as serious in the second match as we were today."

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The Portuguese mentor held back on discussing his entire game plan but did touch on aspects he felt were well executed.

"I will not reveal the details especially after the first match, I can discuss more after the second one. I think the qualifying round, despite the score, we need to respect this team. This team is a high level team, it's the champion of Nigeria,” the coach explained.

“We respect Nigerian football, we respect Remo Stars and we still have to focus on what we have ahead but obviously to play against a team that has a man to man marking system throughout the pitch and that goes very high on the pitch, you need to have mobility. 

“You need to address the spaces in the back, we need to attract but then use the spaces that are available. I think that we found those spaces, not always but the moment we found them we used them and that's what we brought throughout the match."