Miguel Cardoso gave a positive assessment of the possible revival of Mamelodi Sundowns following their unexpected exit from the CAF Champions League on Friday evening.
The Sundowns team failed to defend its title even before demonstrating strong play, as they disappointingly dropped out of the group stage qualifiers against Wiliete. Wiliete's victory was achieved based on the away goals rule after a 1-1 draw in Pretoria.
This result greatly disappointed Sundowns, and Cardoso admitted that the team failed in the most important game of the season, despite having won the MTN8 and the Fifa African-Asian-Pacific Cup earlier in the campaign.
Nevertheless, the Portuguese coach remains optimistic, believing that after a dark period, a bright phase will come, and Sundowns will return stronger and better.
Cardoso stated: 'Great empires always rise from ashes.' He compared the situation to the periods after the First and Second World Wars, noting that many great achievements arise from such difficulties.
He added: 'Today (Friday) was a dark night, but it is darkness that must give us the goal and energy to build something bigger. Perhaps this is an important lesson to learn for the future. As I usually say, what happens to us does not define us. What defines us much more is how we react to what happens.'
Sundowns' opportunity to react to the defeat will come in the match against Marumo Gallants in the Round of 16 of the Carling Knockout tournament, which will take place on Tuesday evening at the Loftus Versfeld stadium. A win in this meeting will allow the team not only to advance but also to gain the necessary momentum to participate in remaining competitions, including the semi-final of the Fifa Intercontinental Cup and the Betway Premiership, which are priority goals.
Cardoso noted: 'There are many trophies still to fight for.' At the same time, he emphasized that the significance of exiting the Champions League cannot be forgotten. He admitted that this is difficult for the club and coaches, and personally, it is especially hard after the team was in the final for three consecutive years.
He also mentioned that for a club that was supposed to participate in the group stage for the twelfth consecutive time, this is not easy. Despite the deep disappointment from Friday's result, achieving the last two continental finals—one with Esperance and another with Sundowns—may offer a chance to reset and look at continental football and other tournaments with fresh eyes.