Cardoso backs Sundowns to bounce back after Champions League shock

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso believes his side can recover from their surprise CAF Champions League elimination and return stronger for the challenges ahead.

Sundowns’ defence of the title ended in the group stage qualifiers on Friday night after Wiliete SC advanced on the away-goals rule following a 1–1 draw at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.

The result was a major disappointment for a team that had been expected to reach the group stage for a 12th consecutive time. Sundowns had also won the MTN8 and Fifa African-Asian-Pacific Cup earlier in the campaign, but Cardoso admitted they had fallen short in what was their most important match of the season.

The Portuguese-born coach said the defeat represented a difficult moment, but insisted it could become the starting point for a stronger response.

“Great empires always come from ashes,” Cardoso said. “It was like that after the First World War. After the Second World War, it was the same. Many come from that.

“Today (Friday) was a dark night, but it’s the dark that has to give us the purpose and energy to build more. Maybe it’s an important lesson to look ahead. Like I usually say, we are not defined by what happens to us. We are defined much more by how we react to what happens to us.”

Sundowns have little time to dwell on the disappointment, with Marumo Gallants awaiting them in the Carling Knockout last-16 at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday night.

Victory would take Sundowns into the next round and help restore momentum for the competitions still available to them. Those include the semi-final of the Fifa Intercontinental Cup and the Betway Premiership, both of which Cardoso described as must-win targets.

“There are a lot of trophies still to challenge for,” he said. “We obviously cannot forget what it means to be eliminated from the Champions League. It’s hard for the club and the coaches – and you can imagine for myself, it’s harder after being in the final for three years in a row. It’s hard for a club that was supposed to be in the group stage for the 12th time in a row.”

Cardoso’s disappointment is heightened by his recent record in continental competition. He reached the last two continental finals, one with Esperance and the other with Sundowns.

Friday’s exit therefore represents a significant setback, but it may also provide an opportunity for the coach and club to reset and develop a fresh perspective on their ambitions in continental football and beyond.