Cardoso Explains How Springbok Inspired Sundowns' 'Fight' Against Borussia Dortmund

After the match, head coach Miguel Cardoso revealed he drew on the inspirational spirit of the Springboks, South Africa’s beloved rugby champions—to reignite belief and resilience in his Sundowns players.

“It wasn’t easy in the dressing room at halftime—heads were down, and the mood was heavy,” Cardoso told SuperSport. “The danger when you’re trailing in a game like this is that top teams won’t stop. They know that scoring more goals matters in this competition.”

To lift the team’s spirit, Cardoso drew inspiration from South African rugby:

“I shared the powerful example of the Springbok team spirit—how they played with pictures of their families on their shirts. We may not wear those photos, but we carry our people in our hearts and minds.”

“In moments like that, you have to fight for them. Fight for the club, fight for the supporters. That’s what I asked of the players—to give everything to make their people proud,” he added.

Source: Briefly News