Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso admitted his side’s CAF Champions League exit was “a big punch in our faces” when asked whether he can save the season, or whether the group stage failure is a sackable offence.
The reigning African champions were eliminated at the second preliminary round on away goals after a 1-1 draw with Wiliete SC at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night, following a goalless first leg in Angola.
Tashreeq Matthews put Sundowns ahead in the 11th minute, but Cristóvão “Mabululu” Paciência levelled in the 48th. Sundowns had 18 shots to Wiliete’s six and failed to find a second goal. They have missed the group stage for the first time in 11 seasons.
Cardoso did not address his own future directly. He pointed instead to his record and to the club’s recent continental pedigree.
“This club is a club that has proposed itself for many years to win the Champions League and 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 at the head of the team, one star on the shirt,” he said.
“This season we played for two trophies and won two trophies, we are 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 will react, there’s so many more things to win.”
He took responsibility, and said the defeat belongs to everyone.
“I repeat it was a big punch in our faces, absolutely, on me – on the players, on everybody, as I understand, when we win, everyone wins, when we lose, everyone loses. There are many reflections, many analysis that we will have to do together.”
On whether the season can be rescued, Cardoso said it is far from lost.
“Football happened today, obviously it’s horrible, we all wanted to win this competition, but this season is very far from being a catastrophe, we need to move forward and as I said, there’s already a final in one and half weeks or two weeks to play in this stadium.”
He said the team should have put the tie to bed and that he told the players so at half-time.
“We were not strong enough and in a game, football penalises when you are not strong enough, because you had your moments to finish the game. I told the boys at half-time you should have finished the game.”
He declined to blame his players, staff or the club’s support.
“Not complain about the players, they tried their best, not complaints on the coaches… no complaints from the support we received from the club, at all.”
Cardoso believes the response will define Sundowns more than the result.
“What is going to speak for Sundowns, is the greatness that will come after this defeat… It’s proof of character that we have to give. But that proof of character, I’m sure we are willing to do it already from tomorrow, that will speak about us, not this moment today.”
He called for unity and promised a reaction: “Strong inside the doors of Chloorkop, from now on there will be a lot of fire in us… we need to stay united, committed within each other.”
He ended with an appeal to supporters: “What we will need is our supporters to fill the stadium, bring the same energy and always lift the trophy, move from there, there’s so many things to play for.”