Cardoso vs Santos: ‘Mini-Mourinhos’ go head-to-head in CAF Champions League final

Sundowns’ Miguel Cardoso is appearing in the final for the third year in a row and is seeking to lift the trophy for the first time, while AS FAR’s Alexandre Santos will make his maiden appearance.

Cardoso lost to Al Ahly while in charge of Esperance in the 2024 decider, before suffering a surprise defeat to Pyramids after moving to Sundowns in 2025. He will be desperate to make it third time lucky.

Santos enjoyed domestic success with Angolan side Petro de Luanda, including knocking Sundowns out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage in the 2021/22 season, a major surprise at the time. Petro eventually lost to Wydad Casablanca in the semi-finals.

In charge of AS FAR since February 2025, this is easily the biggest fixture of Santos’ career.

Only one Portuguese coach has lifted the trophy before, but he remains the record-holder with four triumphs.

Manuel Jose won the title four times with Egyptian giants Al Ahly between 2001 and 2008, putting him one ahead of South Africa’s Pitso Mosimane, who was crowned champion with both Sundowns and Al Ahly.

Cardoso feels that European audiences, including those in Portugal, do not give African football the respect it deserves, but hopes having two Portuguese coaches in the final will help change that perception.

“Europe, and I can speak about my country Portugal, does not understand the level of the Champions League in Africa,” Cardoso said.

“It is a shame that my country does not recognise the achievements of what some Portuguese coaches have been doing in Africa. Even Manuel Jose is not recognised for the level of work he did here.

“It is a shame, and I speak about my own people, who prefer to recognise a coach who keeps a team in the division in Spain or France, rather than an achievement in African football.”

Despite this, Cardoso says he has enjoyed working in Africa and is proud to fly the Portuguese flag on the continent.

“I really feel proud to be a Portuguese coach in Africa. The experiences that African football has given me have helped me grow as a coach and as a human being. The different contexts and diversity. I feel so privileged to be in Africa,” he said.

He says there is mutual respect between himself and Santos that has developed over several years, given the similarities in their careers.

“We have a common background, we were both assistant coaches and had very good careers. We have both done beautiful things. We have a relationship — we don’t frequent each other’s houses, but we send messages to each other at the right moments,” Cardoso said.

“We have established a respectful relationship. I recognise him for what he has done as an assistant coach and as a head coach. We exchanged messages after the semi-finals, he congratulated me and I did likewise.

“The coaches will not fight each other. The teams play each other, not the coaches. It is important to understand that. We will do our jobs respectfully. We will both want to win, but one of us will not be happy in the end.

“We both have opportunities to write history, we will fight hard for it, but we will be respectful about it.”

AS FAR may be viewed as underdogs by many, but Santos says that with the right game plan and execution, his side can spring a surprise.

“We know very well the strength of our opponents, Mamelodi Sundowns,” he told CAFOnline. “They are a well-organised team with great continental experience. We are focusing on tactical discipline, reducing mistakes and making the most of the opportunities that come our way.

“We are also working a lot on the mental side so that the players enter the match with confidence and strong character.

“Pressure exists in every final, but it can become positive motivation. We are working on keeping the players calm and focused, while approaching the match with great confidence and respect for the opponent, without fear. When you reach the final, it means you deserve to be there.”

AS FAR were last in the final in 1985 when they defeated Bilima of what was then Zaire. In that instance they had a Brazilian coach, Jose Faria, in charge. It has been a long wait for another opportunity.

“AS FAR is a club with a rich history and its fans deserve to celebrate another continental title. We respect the club’s history and understand the value of this challenge, and we will fight to bring the trophy back to its natural place.”

The second leg will take place in Rabat on May 24.