‘We fought to the end’ – Cardoso’s pride in Esperance despite Al Ahly defeat

Roger Aholo’s early own goal at the Cairo International Stadium was enough to hand the Egyptian giants a record-extending 12th TotalEnergies CAF Champions League crown after the first leg in Tunisia had finished 0-0.

For Cardoso and his Esperance side, it marked the end of their bid to be crowned African club champions for the first time since 2019.

However, the Portuguese was in defiant mood when reflecting on their narrow aggregate loss to the continent’s most decorated side.

“I am certainly not happy about losing the title, but I am proud of what my team presented and of reaching the final,” Cardoso told reporters.

“We fought until the end and showed great character, even though conceding an early goal against a big team like Al Ahly is not easy.”

The Blood and Gold had given themselves a mountain to climb when going behind with just four minutes on the clock, as Aholo inadvertently turned the ball into his own net under pressure.

But Cardoso felt there was no shame in coming up short against the competition’s most successful-ever club, particularly given Esperance’s exploits in reaching successive TotalEnergies CAF Champions League finals.

“We have a young team, and we succeeded in qualifying for the Club World Cup, and we must support this team during the coming period,” the 47-year-old added.

“I have been with Esperance for only four months, and we succeeded in building many things that were missing. During the last period, we said everything we had, but we were not lucky.”

Cardoso added they will take solace from the progress made under his tutelage as he aims to build a side capable of going one better next season.