Mngqithi Breaks Silence On Sundowns’ Shock CAF Exit! Former Coach Points To A Costly Mistake

Former Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has weighed in on the Brazilians’ disappointing early elimination from the CAF Champions League, suggesting that although the team may have been unfortunate, a crucial mistake contributed to the outcome.

Sundowns entered the competition as defending champions, carrying the expectations of supporters who believed they had the quality and experience to challenge for another continental title. However, their campaign ended in the second preliminary round after Angolan side Wiliete SC secured qualification for the group stages.

Mngqithi’s comments have added another perspective to the debate surrounding the result, particularly because of his previous experience at Chloorkop and his understanding of the standards expected at the club.

The former Sundowns mentor is familiar with the pressure that comes with competing for trophies in South Africa and Africa. His assessment is therefore likely to attract attention from supporters still trying to understand how the defending champions failed to progress.

Sundowns’ elimination was confirmed on Friday, 23 October 2026, following a 1-1 draw against Wiliete at Loftus Versfeld.

The first leg in Angola had ended goalless, leaving everything to be decided in Pretoria. Tashreeq Matthews gave the home side an early advantage, but Wiliete responded through Mabululu in the second half.

That equaliser proved decisive because the Angolan visitors progressed on the away-goals rule.

The result was particularly disappointing because Sundowns had reached the group stages in each of the previous 11 editions of the competition. They will now be unable to defend the title they won last season.

Head coach Miguel Cardoso did not hide his disappointment after the elimination. He accepted that the result represented a collective failure involving both players and the technical team.

The Portuguese coach argued that Sundowns had controlled much of the match and created enough opportunities to secure victory, but failed to convert those chances.

He also expressed frustration over the manner in which Wiliete scored, pointing to a costly pass from his own team that allowed the visitors to threaten.

Cardoso further criticised his players for allowing emotions to affect their decision-making after conceding, despite having approximately 40 minutes remaining to find another goal.

Mngqithi’s assessment is significant because he understands the demands of managing a club with Sundowns’ ambitions. His comment that the team was unfortunate, but that a mistake contributed to the situation, has reopened discussion about the fine margins that can decide important continental matches.

In a two-legged tie, one defensive lapse, missed opportunity or poor decision can change the entire outcome. Sundowns experienced that reality against Wiliete, particularly after failing to turn their possession and attacking opportunities into enough goals.

However, the precise mistake Mngqithi was referring to needs to be understood in the context of his full comments rather than assumed to be the same incident identified by Cardoso.

Source:

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