Miguel Cardoso lauds electrifying African football stadium atmosphere
Published:
Espérance Sportive de Tunis head coach, Miguel Cardoso has heaped praise on the electrifying atmosphere displayed at African football stadiums.
The Portuguese-born coach was speaking in Pretoria ahead of his side’s highly anticipated TotalEnergies CAF Champions League semi-final second leg fixture against Mamelodi Sundowns on Friday evening.
The highly experienced Cardoso was appointed head coach at the four-time African champions in January with the aim of reclaiming their 2019 title which has eluded them ever since.
Speaking ahead of the clash with Sundowns where they carry a slender 1-0 lead, Cardoso lauded the festive atmosphere experienced in African football stadiums in his first stint coaching on the continent.
“The atmosphere is really great at the stadiums. We should give a good image of African football worldwide. African football is now appearing in European countries. The last AFCON was well received in Portugal and people watched it a lot. I was very happy about the ambiance in Tunis. It was very strong but not aggressive so it was supportive for the teams. I saw great respect from the fans throughout the game” said the impressed coach.
An equalling exciting atmosphere is expected on Friday evening when the two sides clash at the 50 000 capacity Loftus stadium.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach, Rhulani Mokwena earlier in the week sent out a call to the Mamelodi Sundowns faithful to come out in their numbers to rally the 2016 champions against their north African counterparts.
“We need our fans to come out in their numbers. We need them now more than ever. We need to hear the drum beating and the fans singing and supporting us on Friday” urged Mokwena.
