Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso says it is important his side keep up their appetite for success if they are to progress in their defence of their Caf Champions League title.

Sundowns’ Cardoso – ‘The second star has changed nothing’

Masandawana will host Angolan side Wiliete at Loftus Stadium on Friday. A goalless draw in the first leg of their final group stage qualifier has left the tie more in the balance than many might have expected.

“The second star (last year’s Champions League title) has changed nothing,” said Cardoso this week.

“The question is how to stay humble to fight in these competitions … how you show … how much you want to be here.

“The Champions League has a lot to do … with commitment, compromise and fighting. That is a bit what we lacked in the previous game (in Angola). We didn’t play badly, we just didn’t put the fight in. And by ‘fight’ I don’t mean ‘kick people’. It is about the intensity of the gameplay, the speed of the ball … being fluid in the spaces you find, the numbers in attack and the way you make defensive transitions. ‘Fight’ is always speaking about the football.”

Cardoso played down, meanwhile, an alleged spat that broke out between Sundowns assistant coach Steve Komphela and Wiliete head coach Beto Bianchi after the game in Angola.

Wiliete vice-president Vitorino Vissele said that Komphela had kicked Bianchi in a sensitive area, and that the club would issue an official complaint to the Confederation of African Football.

‘Too much attention’

“Small things sometimes become big things when they are given too much attention,” said Cardoso.

“The club (Sundowns) was very well received in Angola and very well taken care of. The clubs’ relationship is fantastic.

“Football has a lot to do with emotions. Sometimes water falls out of the glass. It doesn’t mean the glass is broken or the water is spoiled. It is just a bit too much emotion … I am sure it will be a beautiful match on Friday and people will respect each other. It will be a big party as Sundowns fans do put on, and we will welcome the people from Wiliete well.”