Sundowns boss Cardoso accepts ‘failure’ after shock Champions League exit

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says everyone at the club must accept collective responsibility after the defending champions were eliminated by Wiliete SC in the preliminary round of the Caf Champions League.

The Angolan side recovered from an early setback to produce one of the competition’s biggest surprises, advancing on the away goals rule after the tie ended 1-1 on aggregate.

Sundowns took the lead after 11 minutes when attacker Tashreeq Matthews found the net. However, veteran striker Cristovao “Mabululu” Paciencia equalised for Wiliete SC, whose goal was enough to send them through.

The result ended Sundowns’ run of reaching the group stages in every season since they won the competition in 2016. Their failure to score in either leg proved costly.

“Of course it is a failure,” Cardoso admitted.

“It’s a failure from everybody, and we should embrace it from the coaches and everybody. I want to state how it is a failure because I don’t want to give you the opportunity just to say that.”

Although Sundowns controlled Friday’s match and created several opportunities, they could not find the decisive finish.

“We controlled the match, but we just failed to score. If you count all the opportunities that we had in the box, we should have converted to influence the result,” Cardoso said.

“When you don’t finish the situations that you create, you stay exposed to anything.”

Sundowns were without influential Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena, but Cardoso rejected the suggestion that his absence explained the result.

He maintained that the players available, including those introduced during the match, had enough quality to secure progress.

“Regarding what we missed or did not miss, there are many things that we missed. If you see this team and compare it with the one that finished the Champions League last year, one has nothing to do with the other,” he said.

“That is not an excuse at all; the team that played today [Friday] should have won the match. We should have won the match today with the players that we had on the pitch and the ones that entered later.”

Cardoso also acknowledged the significance of the away goals rule, which had previously helped Sundowns advance.

“We created enough chances to win the match; we did not lose but drew two matches. But we also progressed on away goals in the past, and we can’t complain about that now,” he added.

“That is why when you are in the game, you have to finish it so that you are not exposed to a random goal.”

Orlando Pirates will be South Africa’s only representatives in the Champions League after beating African Stars of Namibia 5-0 on aggregate.

Kaizer Chiefs will also not feature in the Confederation Cup after losing 3-2 on penalties to Zambian side Red Arrows in Durban.

Sundowns must now turn their attention to the Carling Knockout Cup, with Marumo Gallants visiting on Tuesday night.