- Mamelodi Sundowns have been eliminated from the CAF Champions League at the preliminary round for the first time since 2015
- The Brazilians will pocket a fraction of what they earned last season after failing to reach the group stages
- Coach Miguel Cardoso has spoken out about the humiliating defeat, making a frank admission about the team's performance
Mamelodi Sundowns' stunning early exit from the CAF Champions League will cost the club dearly, with the South African giants set to forfeit millions in prize money following their elimination at the preliminary round.
The Pretoria-based club crashed out over the weekend after drawing 1-1 with Angola's Wiliete SC in the second leg of their preliminary tie. The result was not enough to see Sundowns advance, as the Angolan outfit progressed on the away goals rule, inflicting one of the most embarrassing results in the club's recent continental history.
Having won the Champions League title last season and banked $6 million (R99.4 million) in the process, the Brazilians will now receive just $100,000 (R1.6 million) — the standard consolation payment for teams eliminated at the preliminary stage. That means Sundowns will miss out on at least $700,000 (R11.6 million) in group stage prize money, which will instead go to Wiliete SC.
It is the first time since 2015 that Sundowns have failed to reach the group stages of the tournament. The club had been a dominant force in recent years, appearing in the last two finals as well as several semi-finals before that.
Head coach Miguel Cardoso did not shy away from the gravity of the result, describing it plainly as a collective failure.
"Of course, it's a failure, it's a failure from everybody, we should embrace it, from the players to the coaches obviously. But I want to state how it is a failure because I don't want to give you an opportunity just to say that," Cardoso told reporters at Loftus Versfeld Stadium as per KickOff.
The Portuguese coach argued that his side controlled large portions of the match but were ultimately undone by poor finishing in front of goal.
"I think we controlled the match completely, we just did not score the goals we had to score. If you count the opportunities we had inside the box, both in the first-half, second-half, we had to make more, express the result," he said.
"Obviously if you don't finish the situations you have, you stay exposed to anything that could happen in the match," Cardoso added.
The exit marks a significant blow not only financially but also to Sundowns' reputation as the continent's premier club side.
Source: Briefly News