Sundowns boss Cardoso accepts responsibility after shock Champions League exit

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

Sundowns were knocked out on the away goals rule after a 1-1 draw, ending their run of reaching the group stages in every season since 2016, when they won the competition.

The South African side appeared to be on course to progress when attacker Tashreeq Matthews put them ahead after 11 minutes. But veteran striker Cristovao “Mabululu” Paciencia equalised for Wiliete SC, who produced one of the biggest shocks in the tournament.

Sundowns were also punished for failing to score in both legs of the tie. Cardoso did not attempt to hide the scale of the disappointment.

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

“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.

“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.

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

Sundowns were without influential Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena, although Cardoso insisted the players available to him were capable of securing qualification.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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 this season after beating Namibia’s African Stars 5-0 on aggregate.

Kaizer Chiefs will also have no Confederation Cup campaign after losing 3-2 on penalties to Zambian side Red Arrows in Durban.

Sundowns must now quickly move on from the setback, with Marumo Gallants visiting on Tuesday night in the Carling Knockout Cup.