Cardoso: ‘You could feel the pressure on some players’

In the aftermath of Mamelodi Sundowns' CAF Champions League defeat, head coach Miguel Cardoso refrained from blaming the team's early exit on the lack of key players. Influential midfielder Teboho Mokoena was absent from the second leg of Sundowns' preliminary round tie against Angola's Wiliete SC due to an injury sustained in the first leg.

Additionally, Grant Kekana, Keanu Cupido, Khuliso Mudau, Kegan Johannes, and Arthur Sales were all injured and unable to participate in the match. When asked whether the absence of Mokoena impacted Sundowns' performance in the second leg, Cardoso stated that the team had the quality to secure a win and that their absence was not an acceptable excuse.

He acknowledged that the team was stronger with its injured players, but it was not an excuse for their failure to progress to the group stage following a 1-1 aggregate draw. Cardoso believes that Sundowns should solely blame themselves for their premature elimination from the competition. Despite the challenge posed by the event, he acknowledged that some less experienced players may have struggled under the pressure, but there were no valid excuses for their lackluster performance.