Loss to Wiliete ‘punch in our faces… horrible!’ Cardoso laments after Sundowns shocker

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is frustrated after Masandawana’s elimination from the CAF Champions League.

The South African heavyweights had anticipated a routine win over Angolan outfit Wiliete SC to advance to the group stage and go all the way and defend their crown. The first leg of the second preliminary round ended goalless with the Angolan side making the next hurdle following a 1-1 draw in Mzansi.

Cardoso insists the loss was heavy to his team and everyone associated with Sundowns, but insisted the season is still young and they can still win other competitions.

This one is a big knockout

“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,” Cardoso told the media.

“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.

“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,” he further added.

Season is far from over

“Football happened, 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,” the ex-Esperance tactician continued.

“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.

“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. 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.”

“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,” Cardoso concluded.