Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso is fully aware of the significance of the MTN8 final but insists his side cannot afford to lose sight of the bigger picture.

The Brazilians will go head-to-head with Orlando Pirates when the two sides meet in the final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

Cardoso is yet to add the top-eight title to his trophy cabinet as Sundowns look to dethrone the Buccaneers and claim their first MTN8 title since 2021.

With a demanding fixture schedule continuing immediately after the final, Cardoso says Sundowns will approach the final with full commitment while carefully managing player fitness and preparing for every detail.

“We know the responsibility of a match like this,” Cardoso said. “We want to do well.”

“For (some) us, as the coaching staff, we have never played a (domestic) cup final so obviously it is an important moment for us.

“But it is just the next match; we will play on Tuesday (against Richards Bay) immediately after and then on the weekend in the qualifiers of the Champions League.

“The objective we have to consider in our preparations is the risk involved — for example, using players who are not 100%.

“But when we go for this match, we will go with full intention, full commitment; we understand what is at stake, and we will obviously want to continue the season in the best way.”

He added: “We are taking nothing for granted and are very suspicious of everything, it means that we have to prepare ourselves for all the details.

“It will be a high-level match, at the same level as a Champions League match, because Orlando Pirates is a high-level team full of quality players.

“But it will be just one more match, and what will speak for us will be the end of the season, and then we will have to make a balance because throughout the season there will be so many challenges that we have to approach in a different way.”