Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso says his squad will pick themselves up and return stronger after losing in the CAF Champions League final to Pyramids.
The Betway Premiership champions suffered a 3-2 aggregate loss to Egyptian Premier League side who are in their second campaign of the competition in the club’s history.
In their quest for a second star, it was a heartbreaking end to the campaign, in what was their first final since winning the competition in 2016.
“The emotions I get since I arrived in Sundowns and since I entered the Champions League and reporting to the career, the way it is, can only make me feel proud, of course, so the fact that I’m not happy, doesn’t mean I’m not proud about everything we did until the moment we arrived in this final,” Cardoso said.
“But at the same time, I think something was missing for us to be at the level we needed in order to win – it’s not a question of who was best or who was worse because when there’s a winner, it was [the other team] was better.
“In moments we didn’t find a way to compete in the level that we should have competed in order to win the trophy – anyway, it’s not many people or players, many coaches, many members of staff, board members, many clubs that have played finals of Champions League and have the right to win a medal.
“I just like to remind that to the final we played Al Ahly, who is still the first in the CAF ranking, we beat them in the semi-final, played Esperance, that is the second in the ranking of CAF – and when we arrived in the club, it was struggling to pass the group stage of the Champions League.
“We had an immediate tough game against Raja Casablanca in a very tough group, with alsi ASFAR and we were able to make the group stages – throughout the tournament, our players were able to show a good commitment, a good attitude and good quality.”
Cardoso admits it left a sour feeling to come second, as he loses his second consecutive final, having lost to Al Ahly last season whilst in charge of Esperance Sportive de Tunis.
“Guiding them to the final, obviously makes me very proud. The feeling when you play a final and you don’t win is obviously bitter, disappointing but as I said before this match, this sensations that invade me is that I have a wonderful group of men in my locker room,” he continued.
“They are obviously suffering but will get up as true champions that they are, true human beings that are champions on a daily basis on their lives in what they are committed in what they do, we will proceed on our way, we still have a lot to do.
“What is important is that we go back and settle any objective and we can repeat the opportunity of playing a final of Champions League and be better than we were.”
