Sundowns Coach Points Caf Exit A Wake Up Call
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso described their CAF Champions League elimination as a “big punch in the face” after the defending champions suffered an unexpected exit at the hands of Angolan side Williete Benguela FC on an away goal rule on Friday.
The Brazilians were ushered out following a 1-1 results on the return leg at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, while the first leg played to a stalemate in Angola last weekend.
Sundowns’ stunning continental record came to an abrupt end, with the club being denied to progress on the group stages for the first time, after 12 consecutive appearances in the competition’s modern era. The defeat also halted a run that saw the Tshwane giants reach three CAF Champions League finals.
With the former Orlando Pirates midfielder Gilberto playing a key role in Williete’s attacks, alongside veteran forward Mabululu, they provided the necessary m experience for the Angolan outfit.
Cardoso acknowledged that the disappointment was a hard pill to absorb, but maintained that the club must use the setback to fuel an improved fight, for the remaining trophies this season. “It is a big knockout. This one is a big punch in our faces. Yes, but what will make us stronger is how we are going to react, because there is so much more, so many more things to win,” he said.
The Portuguese mentor specified Sundowns’ recent triumphs, including two trophies in the bag this season and their strong domestic position. He was also calling for unity, with the aim to recover from the Champions League disappointment. “I am pretty sure there will be a lot of fire on us, and how we're going to be immune to that is exactly what will allow us to win more in the future, so we just need to understand, and that is a message very clear for all of us,” he said. “We are not what happens to us. We are much more what we do with what happens to us,” he added.
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