Cardoso lauds Sundowns players’ commitment despite Caf final defeat

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has urged his players not to despair after their Caf Champions League final defeat against Pyramids, as he believes they will come back stronger and be better next season.

Sundowns lost 3-2 on aggregate to Pyramids after their 2-1 second leg defeat at June 30 Air Defence Stadium in Cairo on Sunday. The Egyptian club claimed their first continental title after goals by Fiston Mayele and Ahmed Saad either side of the half delivered the trophy to them.

Iqraam Rayners pulled one back late in the second half, but despite Sundowns throwing everything they had to try to find an equaliser that would have seen them win the final on away goals, it was not to be.

“That we are not happy does not mean I am not proud of everything we did until the moment we arrived in this final,” Cardoso said.

“Something was missed to be at the level we needed to win. What I feel is in some moments we did not find the way to compete at the level we should have to win the trophy.”

Sundowns went into the second leg on the back foot after conceding an away goal at home in the dying seconds to draw 1-1 at Loftus two Saturdays ago. The Brazilians needed to score, but Pyramids showed their intentions by scoring two goals before Downs could get on the score sheet.

Cardoso lauded his side's character, though they just could not get that decisive equaliser.

“Throughout the tournament our players were able to show commitment and great attitude. Guiding them to the final makes me proud.

“The feeling when you play the final and don't win is bitter. I have a wonderful group of men in the locker room who are suffering.

“We still have a lot to do. What is important is to go back and settle in the objective and that we can repeat the opportunity of playing again a final and be better than we were.”

Cardoso defended his decision not to field veteran Themba Zwane — Downs and Bafana Bafana's best creative attacker of the past 10 years, who returned from injury in the weeks before the final — in both legs. Many have questioned whether the 35-year-old might have made a difference, given his experience and big match temperament.

“It’s not time to speak about individual performances of players. This group has a lot of quality players and Themba is one of them.

“It’s not a matter of accepting that we lost but a matter of accepting we didn’t play at a level we should have played in the first three parts of the game.”

Masandawana now shift their focus to the Fifa Club World Cup which starts in the US on June 14.

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