Cardoso refuses excuses as Sundowns suffer early CAF Champions League exit

Mamelodi Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso says his team should have progressed despite being without several important players in their shock CAF Champions League exit against Wiliete SC.

Sundowns were eliminated on the away-goals rule after a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their second-round tie. Teboho Mokoena, Khuliso Mudau, Grant Kekana and Keanu Cupido were among the absentees who reduced Cardoso’s options.

Mokoena’s absence was especially notable because of his importance to the side, but Cardoso rejected the idea that the missing players explained Sundowns’ failure to advance.

“Regarding what we miss or what we don’t miss, there are many things we miss. If you see this team and compare it to the one that finished the Champions League last year, one has nothing to do with the other, but that is not an excuse at all,” Cardoso said at his post-match news conference at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

“The team that played today should have won the match. We could be stronger, we will be stronger with those players, of course we would be stronger, because it will give us more viability, to allow us to choose other options.”

The Portuguese coach acknowledged that Sundowns would have been stronger with their absent players available, but said those who featured created enough chances to win the match.

He also argued that the outcome was down to Sundowns’ failure to take their opportunities, particularly in a tie decided by narrow margins.

“But it is not an excuse, we should have won the match with the players we had on the pitch and the ones that entered because we created enough chances to win. Basically, we did not lose the match, we drew two matches,” insisted the former Esperance coach.

Cardoso said his players needed to be more clinical when chances arose. He also recognised that less-experienced members of the squad can feel the pressure of high-level matches, while making clear that responsibility for the result rested with the whole team.

“With all respect, there is no excuse, we should have done better. We all should have done better,” the 54-year-old added.

The result brings Sundowns’ CAF Champions League campaign to an end in the qualifying rounds, marking the first time they have gone out at that stage since 2015.