Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has blamed his players for the club’s shock elimination from the CAF Champions League after their disappointing defeat against Angolan side Wiliete SC.

The Brazilians suffered an early exit in the second preliminary round after failing to secure qualification for the group stages of the continental competition. The result marked the first time since 2015 that the Premier Soccer League giants had failed to reach that stage.

The defending champions were expected to progress further in the competition, but their campaign came to an abrupt end, leaving supporters disappointed and raising questions about the team’s performance.

Speaking to SABC Sport after the match, Cardoso admitted that Sundowns had themselves to blame for their failure to advance, insisting that their opponents offered little attacking threat throughout the encounter.

Miguel Cardoso Takes Responsibility for Sundowns’ CAF Champions League Exit

Cardoso expressed his disappointment at the result, acknowledging how difficult it was for the team to accept elimination before reaching the group stages.

The Portuguese coach argued that Sundowns had created enough opportunities to secure a favourable result but failed to capitalise on their chances.

He also pointed out that Wiliete had struggled to threaten the South African side, suggesting that Sundowns’ mistakes played a significant role in their opponents’ progression.

"It's obviously difficult to express anything when you don't qualify for the group stages and you cannot even proceed in the competition and defend the title," Cardoso said.

"But we just can look at ourselves. I think besides one shot from the first half there is nothing from Wiliete in this match. The goal they score is a pass from our own striker. We had so many chances, we can only complain on us, it's a very tough night, very difficult moment," he added.

His comments highlighted the frustration within the Sundowns camp after a match in which the team struggled to turn its opportunities into the result needed to remain in the competition.

Despite the disappointment, Cardoso emphasised the importance of moving forward and concentrating on the competitions still available to Sundowns.

The club will now have to redirect its attention towards its remaining domestic commitments after missing out on an opportunity to defend its continental crown.

The early elimination also represents an unexpected development for a side that has established itself as one of South Africa's dominant football teams in recent years.

For Cardoso and his players, the immediate challenge will be to recover from the setback, address the mistakes that contributed to their elimination and restore confidence among supporters.

While the coach made it clear that his team had no one else to blame for the result, Sundowns will now be under pressure to respond positively in their remaining matches.

Miguel Cardoso Identifies the Reason Behind Mamelodi Sundowns’ CAF Champions League Exit - Briefly.co.za