Esperance head coach Miguel Cardoso
The South African champions are set to host Egypt's Pyramids FC in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday.
Since taking charge in December, the 52-year-old tactician has guided The Brazilians to the final for the first time since 2016.
Ironically, Cardoso finds himself in this position just a year after losing in the final with Esperance of Tunisia against Egyptian giants Ahly.
Acknowledging the weight of the occasion, Cardoso stated, "Obviously, there is a sense of responsibility playing a final. This is an important moment for everybody at the club and the group of players, so there is a sense of responsibility in giving all these people what they want."
He added, "at the same time, there is a big promise and happiness knowing that we made it all the way to the final and that we are among the two best teams this season on the continent. Everybody understands that there was hard work for us to arrive where we are, and we know what we want."
Cardoso stressed that his players are well-prepared to fight for victory. "We know how hard we will fight for this. We prepare for a match to win and not lose, so it is up to us because we know what capacity we have," he asserted.
"We want to win the match, and obviously, we need to understand how the opponent can hurt us, so we need to prevent that. The team should play and organize themselves while playing because sometimes teams get disorganized. Where we stand today is the best place we have ever been," Cardoso concluded.
The South African side will be aiming for a strong result ahead of the second leg at Cairo’s Air Defense Stadium on 1 June.
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