Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso cut a dejected figure following his team’s elimination from the CAF Champions League, admitting that they've failed as they only have themselves to blame for the poor performance on the night.
Sundowns’ heartbreak was inflicted by Angolan side Wiliete, who held them to a 1-1 draw in the nation’s capital in the second leg of the tie. Tashreeq Matthews scored early for the hosts, but Mabululu levelled the tie to secure a crucial away goal that sent the visitors through to the group stage.
Sundowns’ early elimination meant that they relinquished their title before their defence properly started – a huge disappointment for a team that was not only expected to put up a strong fight, but also secure a historic back-to-back crown.
Speaking during his post-match press conferene, Cardoso was visibly shattered as he spoke with a lump in his throat, explaining how his team, aided by Cassius Mailula’s costly back pass, gave away the tie.
“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.”
Cardoso was also disappointed that his troops failed to respond to the demands of the game once Wiliete levelled the scores in the second half.
“After we conceded, there were still 40 minutes to play, but we let emotions get the better of us,” added Cardoso 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.”
Cardoso refused to label the result a catastrophe, perhaps drawing encouragement from the fact that they have already won silverware this season – the MTN8 and the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup. He insisted there are still more trophies to fight for.
“Disaster is something else in life,” Cardoso 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.”