Miguel Cardoso, the manager of Mamelodi Sundowns, expressed his happiness with his players’ performance during his first match against the Moroccan powerhouse, Raja Club Athletic, at Loftus Stadium on Sunday.

The Portuguese coach celebrated his inaugural victory as the head coach of Sundowns against the Moroccan giants in the CAF Champions League group stage.

Sundowns demonstrated resilience to clinch the win, with Bafana Bafana striker Iqraam Rayners scoring a sensational goal, leading the Brazilians to success.

Captain Ronwen Williams made a pivotal pass from his goal line that sliced through several defenders, setting Kutlwano Letlhaku free on the flank. The young talent then provided an assist to the former Stellenbosch striker, who scored from the edge of the box, allowing Sundowns to start their campaign in this competition following two previous drawn matches.

“Naturally, I am very pleased with the results,” Cardoso remarked after the match.

“I am incredibly thankful for the backing we received throughout our four-day stay and today from both our club structure and fans.

“I am particularly pleased with the dedication our players showed from the outset, which helped us arrive here ready—both tactically and in spirit, culminating in today’s win.

“It was a challenging match, as expected, in a group filled with top-tier teams. However, as I mentioned from the beginning, we hold great respect for our opponents and for ourselves.

“The respect we had for ourselves was clear on the pitch as we aimed to make the most of every moment with the team spirit and camaraderie within our group.”

The Brazilians currently sit in second place in Group B with five points after three matches, while Raja is positioned at the bottom of the table with only one point gained against AS Maniema Union.