Mamelodi Sundowns Coach Miguel Cardoso Cites Fatigue After CAF Champions League Defeat to Al Hilal

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has blamed fatigue in his side’s loss to Al Hilal in their CAF Champions League group stage match.

The first meeting between Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Hilal in Pretoria on January 23, 2026, ended in a hard-fought 2-2 draw, with Sundowns' Arthur Sales and Al Hilal's Abdel Raouf providing the decisive goals in a back-and-forth contest.

However, Al Hilal claimed the upper hand in the return leg on January 30, securing a historic 2-1 victory at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali thanks to goals from Mohamed Abdelrahman and Jean Claude Girumugisha.

This four-point haul across both legs propelled the Sudanese giants to the top of Group C with eight points, leaving the South African champions trailing in second place and facing a must-win situation in their remaining fixtures.

Miguel Cardoso said the defeat to Al Hilal placed Mamelodi Sundowns in a familiar testing phase, explaining that a comparable setback in a previous campaign had forced the club into a demanding stretch shortly afterwards.

The Mamelodi Sundowns coach pointed out that the current scenario once again presents a stern challenge, with another taxing trip, this time against Saint Eloi Lupopo.

He explained that the squad is aware of what lies ahead and understands the importance of mentally preparing for the upcoming continental assignment, even though there is still a knockout fixture to navigate beforehand. He stressed that managing priorities during this congested period will be crucial for the team.

Miguel Cardoso also addressed the physical condition of his players, suggesting that the tight turnaround between fixtures took its toll.

He indicated that Sundowns entered the Al Hilal encounter with less recovery time, which became noticeable as the contest wore on.

In his assessment, the opposition appeared fresher, while his own players showed signs of fatigue, a factor he implied influenced the flow and outcome of the match.

“I remember last year, we were unfortunately in a similar situation after the fourth match. We lost that match, the fourth match of the feature and then we had a difficult match away that we played in Maniema in Congo,” Miguel Cardoso said.

“This time it's also a tough match to play in Congo against Lupopo, and that's what the team has to look forward to. But before that match, we still have a cup match.

“Unfortunately, we played three days ago. That is also clear in a certain moment in the match that the team was much more tired than Al Hilal that just played against us.”

Miguel Cardoso further explained that even with several alterations to the starting lineup from the previous fixture, the side still showed signs of physical strain.

He noted that although the contest appeared evenly matched for large periods, the demanding journey leading into the game had taken a toll on the squad.

The Sundowns coach pointed out that the extended travel, which spanned close to a full day due to necessary stopovers, affected the team’s sharpness.

Despite changing a few players in the team compared to the previous match, it was clear that we were tired. Despite looking quite close, we had to make a trip where we had to stop.

“But now it's really time to go back home, see who can play the next match on Wednesday, in the best conditions possible. It's a cup match that for us is obviously very important, and then after that, we start thinking about Lupopo’s match,” he added.