Cardoso urges Sundowns to show character after Champions League exit

Mamelodi Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso says the club’s reaction to their CAF Champions League elimination will define their season as they prepare to face Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout round of 16 on Tuesday.

The match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium is Sundowns’ first since their continental disappointment, with the result also prompting questions about Cardoso’s future. The Portuguese coach, however, highlighted his record with the club and insisted there is still plenty for the team to achieve.

Sundowns had hoped to fulfil their long-standing ambition of winning the Champions League, but their latest campaign ended before they could reach that target. Cardoso said the club’s recent continental record showed the progress made under his leadership.

“This is the club that has proposed itself for many years to win the Champions League and to compete every year to win the Champions League. In the last four years, two semi-finals, two finals, in the last two years, with me ahead of the team two finals in a row,” Cardoso told reporters at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

The former Esperance coach also pointed to Sundowns’ success in domestic football this season, saying they had already won two trophies and remained top of the league in South Africa.

“This season we’ve played for two trophies, we’ve won two trophies. We’re leading the league in South Africa. It’s a big knockout this one. It’s a big punch in our faces, yes. But what will make us stronger is how we’re going to react, because there’s so many things to win.”

Cardoso accepted that responsibility for the Champions League setback was shared by the entire club. He said the technical team and the players both needed to examine what had gone wrong.

Rather than allowing the defeat to define Sundowns, the coach believes the response that follows it will ultimately shape how the team is judged.

“What is going to speak for Sundowns is the greatness that will come after this defeat,” Cardoso added.

The Carling Knockout tie gives Sundowns an immediate chance to respond, although Marumo Gallants will provide a demanding test. The Rustenburg-based side knocked the Tshwane club out of the same competition last season.

Sundowns therefore return to action with both their recent disappointment and last season’s defeat by Gallants forming part of the backdrop. Cardoso’s message is that the club’s character will be measured by what happens next, with domestic opportunities still available despite the failure to meet their Champions League objective.