Mamelodi Sundowns boss Miguel Cardoso concedes Champions League exit is a failure

Mamelodi Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso admitted his side had failed after their shock elimination from the CAF Champions League, saying they had only themselves to blame for their performance against Wiliete.

Sundowns were held to a 1-1 draw by the Angolan club in the second leg of their preliminary-round tie in the nation’s capital. Tashreeq Matthews put the hosts ahead early on, but Mabululu equalised to secure a crucial away goal and send Wiliete through to the group stage.

The result ended Sundowns’ hopes of defending their CAF Champions League title before their campaign had properly begun. The early exit was a major setback for a side expected to challenge strongly for the trophy and attempt to win a historic back-to-back crown.

Cardoso appeared visibly upset during his post-match press conference, speaking with a lump in his throat as he reflected on the result. He acknowledged that Sundowns had allowed the tie to slip away, with Cassius Mailula’s costly back pass contributing to the decisive outcome.

“Of course, it’s a failure,” Cardoso said. “It’s a failure from everybody – the players, and the coaches. But let me explain: we completely controlled the match, but we failed to score the goals that we needed.

“If you count the opportunities that we had in both halves, we should have done more to secure the result. But when you don’t finish, you’ll be exposed.”

The Portuguese coach was also frustrated by the way his players reacted after Wiliete drew level in the second half. Sundowns had more than enough time to recover, but Cardoso felt they lost control of the match.

“After we conceded, there were still 40 minutes to play, but we let emotions get the better of us,” Cardoso added on SABC Sport. “We failed to take control of the game and play the way we wanted.

“It’s not that they took their foot off the accelerator, but rather the manner in which they handled the emotions that began to surface during the match.”

Despite describing the elimination as a failure, Cardoso rejected the idea that it represented a disaster. Sundowns have already won the MTN8 and the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup this season, and he stressed that further silverware remains available.

“Disaster is something else in life,” he said. “The only way now is to look forward. There are other competitions to win. We need to move on very quickly. It’s a tough blow, but we just need to look forward and keep winning.”