Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso breathed a sigh of relief after victory over Marumo Gallants

Miguel Cardoso, the coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, appeared dejected after his team was eliminated from the CAF Champions League. He admitted that they failed, stating that the responsibility for the poor performance that evening lies solely with them.

Sundowns' heart was broken by the Angolan team Wiliete. In the second leg of the series, played in the country's capital, Wiliete held them to a 1-1 draw. Tashrek Matthews scored an early goal for the hosts, but Mabululu equalized, securing an important away goal that allowed the visitors to advance to the group stage.

The early exit for Sundowns meant they lost their title before their defense could fully establish itself, which was a huge disappointment for a team that, besides expecting tough competition, hoped to secure its historic second consecutive championship.

Speaking at a press conference after the match, Cardoso looked visibly upset, speaking with a noticeable tremor in his voice. He explained that his team missed out on the series due to a costly backward pass from Cassius Mailulu. Cardoso stated: 'Of course, it is a failure. It is a failure of everyone—players and coaches. But let me explain: we controlled the match completely, but we couldn't score the goals we needed.'

He continued that considering all the opportunities they had in both halves, they should have done more to secure the result. However, he noted, 'when you don't finish attacks, you get hit.'

Cardoso also expressed dissatisfaction that his players could not respond to the demands of the game when Wiliete equalized in the second half. 'After we conceded, there were still 40 minutes left, but we let emotions take over us,' Cardoso added on SABC Sport. He emphasized: 'We couldn't take control of the game and play how we wanted. It's not that they slowed down, but rather how they handled the emotions that started showing during the match.'

Cardoso refused to call the result a catastrophe, perhaps drawing encouragement from the fact that they had already won trophies this season—the MTN8 and the Africa Cup of Nations-Pacific. He insisted that there were still other awards to fight for. 'A catastrophe is something else in life,' said Cardoso. 'The only way now is to look forward. There are other competitions to win. We need to move on very quickly. It is a heavy blow, but we just need to look ahead and keep winning.'

The head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, Miguel Cardoso, warned his players that defending the title in the CAF Champions League will face an early test during the trip to Angola to meet Wiliete on Sunday.

The Brazilian team will face the Angolan club in the second preliminary round. The match is scheduled for 17:00. They know they will face a squad that is showing an impressive start to its domestic season.

Currently, Wiliete leads the Girabola tournament, having accumulated 16 points in six matches and remaining undefeated, making them a potentially dangerous opponent despite their relatively low profile on the continental stage.

Sundowns automatically advanced to the next round due to their high ranking, while Wiliete secured their spot in the second round after defeating the Seychelles team Foresters 5-0 on aggregate over two matches.

Cardoso strongly urged his team to approach this confrontation with due seriousness, warning that Wiliete's domestic form poses a threat that cannot be ignored. He stated: 'We must respect this qualifying round very seriously and aggressively. This was not a friendly match.'

He added: 'Sometimes we face teams where we know: 'We can handle it,' but this is a difficult match, and they (Wiliete) are leading the Angolan championship. After our return from Durban, we have already studied them, and it is clear that this is a team that will cause us problems, and we need to focus.'

Sundowns enters this task after a demanding period that included a triumph in the MTN8 tournament over Orlando Pirates and a game in the Betway Premiership against Richards Bay. Due to accumulating domestic and continental commitments, Cardoso is also preparing his squad for careful management to keep the players fit during a period of high workload.

The Portuguese coach has already called on fans to trust the technical staff's decisions, explaining that rotation will be determined by the players' condition, readiness, and motivation. The goal is to maintain Sundowns' competitive level while giving the team enough time to recover to cope with the schedule.

For the defending champions, the first match on Sunday offers an opportunity to gain an advantage before the return fixture, but Cardoso's message is clear: Wiliete's form demands respect, and Sundowns cannot afford to approach the match with complacency. The team's ambitions in the Champions League will depend on how effectively they handle this early hurdle, especially playing away against a rival who has not yet suffered a defeat in their domestic league this season.