Cardoso reveals how Sundowns responded to Champions League exit

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says his players immediately refocused after their shock CAF Champions League elimination, responding by reaching the Carling Knockout quarter-finals.

The reigning champions were knocked out before the group stage, an unwanted record for a club that has played in two finals and two semi-finals in recent years.

Sundowns had little time to dwell on the disappointment. They beat Marumo Gallants 1-0 in the last 16 on Thursday night, securing a place in the draw for the quarter-finals.

Cardoso said the club began addressing the setback as soon as their Champions League campaign ended on Friday night.

“Obviously, the moment we finished the match was the moment we lift ourselves immediately,” he said after the victory over Gallants.

“We had an important talk immediately here in the stadium, where we spoke with the players regarding the attitude that we needed to have.

“We gave rest to the players, everybody had a day to cool down. From there, as soon as we stepped inside the doors of Chloorkop, it was fueling, fueling, fueling energy and mindset and turn over.

“Let’s forward and from bad moments we need to turn them around.”

‘It’s too late to cry over spilt milk’

Cardoso acknowledged the scale of the disappointment, particularly given Sundowns’ recent record in continental football and his own experience since arriving in Africa.

“We are deeply sad,” he said. “The club that played last few years in two finals and two semi-finals and myself three finals in a row.

“Since I came to Africa, I played consistently in three finals, so you may imagine what it was like for the group, the club and spectators on everything that happened.”

However, the Portuguese coach said the squad began rebuilding its confidence once it identified the task ahead.

“As soon as we understood what we had to do in the future, that’s when we started to collect energy, and we know very well what we have to do,” he added.

Sundowns’ chairman also offered his support and encouraged the players to focus on their remaining targets.

“The chairman was very supportive,” said Cardoso. “He spoke with the team in the way he finds always to speak, with the right approach and right motivation in looking forward to what we have ahead.”

Cardoso said the club had to learn from the Champions League exit without allowing it to define the rest of the season.

“It’s too late to cry over spilt milk,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that we don’t recognise what happened, but it’s important that we focus more on what we can do.”

Sundowns will also compete for the CAF Super Cup in November. Their opponents will be Algerian side USM Alger, who won the Confederation Cup last season.