Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says everyone at the club must accept responsibility after the defending champions were eliminated by Wiliete SC in the preliminary stage of the Caf Champions League.
The South African side were knocked out by the Angolan club on the away goals rule after a 1-1 draw, ending their run before the group stages for the first time since 2016, when they won the competition.
Sundowns appeared to be on course for progress when Tashreeq Matthews put them ahead after 11 minutes. However, veteran striker Cristovao “Mabululu” Paciencia equalised for Wiliete SC, who held on to secure one of the tournament’s biggest shocks.
The Brazilians had failed to score in both legs, a shortcoming that ultimately proved decisive.
“Of course it is a failure,” admitted Cardoso.
“It’s a failure from everybody, and we should embrace it from the coaches and everybody. I want to state how it is a failure because I don’t want to give you the opportunity just to say that.
“We controlled the match, but we just failed to score. If you count all the opportunities that we had in the box, we should have converted to influence the result.
“When you don’t finish the situations that you create, you stay exposed to anything.”
Sundowns were without influential Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena, but Cardoso rejected the suggestion that his absence explained the result.
He said the players available on Friday were capable of securing victory and that the team had created enough chances to advance.
“Regarding what we missed or did not miss, there are many things that we missed. If you see this team and compare it with the one that finished the Champions League last year, one has nothing to do with the other.
“That is not an excuse at all; the team that played today [Friday] should have won the match. We should have won the match today with the players that we had on the pitch and the ones that entered later.
“We created enough chances to win the match; we did not lose but drew two matches. But we also progressed on away goals in the past, and we can’t complain about that now.
“That is why when you are in the game, you have to finish it so that you are not exposed to a random goal.”
Cardoso believes Sundowns can recover from the setback, pointing to the amount still at stake during the season. The squad will have little time to reflect, with Marumo Gallants visiting in the Carling Knockout Cup on Tuesday night.
Orlando Pirates will be South Africa’s only representatives in the Champions League after beating African Stars of Namibia 5-0 on aggregate.
Kaizer Chiefs will not feature in the Confederation Cup after losing 3-2 on penalties to Zambian side Red Arrows in Durban.
