Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has hailed the players' commitment since he and his technical team arrived at the club seven days ago.
Cardoso started his Sundowns tenure on a high note after his team beat Raja Casablanca 1-0 in a tense CAF Champions League group stage match played at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday.
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Iqraam Rayners scored the decisive goal for the home side to hand them their first victory of the current campaign's group stage phase having previously drawn against AS Maniema Union (home) and AS FAR Rabat (away).
They now jump into second spot in Group B on five points, level on points with leaders AS FAR, who have a better goal difference.
Cardoso kept the tried-and-tested players in his starting line-up, with the predatory Rayners leading the attack.
"I am pleased for the results, very pleased for the support we received throughout the four days we're here from other club structure and from our fans," revealed Cardoso after the match.
"I am also very happy mostly by the commitment that our players had from the first moment that allowed them in four days to try and come here in the best possible way within the tactical plan and mostly to build the spirit that allowed us today to arrive with victory.
"It was a tough game as expected in a group that is so full of teams at the level of the ones we are facing, but as I said from the very first day, big respect for opponents and big respect for ourselves is exactly what you saw on the pitch," added the Portuguese-born mentor.
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Cardoso might have surprised a lot of people when pulling out Sphelele Mkhulise for young Kutlwano Letlhaku at half-time. It's a substitution that paid dividends as the latter made the assist for Rayners' goal in the 65th minute after receiving a superb delivery from Ronwen Williams.
"We changed not because 'Pitso' (Siphelele Mkhulise) was not giving the performance but because we needed other things. Most of my changes had to do with tactical analysis and managing the game," noted the coach.