Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has challenged his players to learn from their recent continental setbacks, insisting that the club must respond like a big team after their disappointing CAF Super Cup defeat to USM Alger.
The Brazilians suffered a 3-1 loss at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday, missing out on another continental trophy in front of their home supporters.
The defeat came just weeks after Sundowns were eliminated by Wiliete SC in the CAF Champions League preliminary qualifying rounds, ending their run of reaching the group stage for more than a decade.
Having started the 2026/27 campaign as African champions, Masandawana have endured a difficult period on the continental stage. However, Cardoso believes the team should focus on improving rather than allowing the disappointment to derail their season.
Cardoso Explains Why Sundowns Lost to USM Alger
Reflecting on the Super Cup final, Cardoso admitted that his team made costly mistakes and failed to take advantage of the opportunities they created.
The Portuguese tactician felt USM Alger were more effective in front of goal, punishing Sundowns whenever they made defensive errors.
“We made mistakes that were penalised by goals. There wasn’t much actions from USMA, the difference was the level of profit they had from what they created, compared to what we didn’t take from what we created,” Cardoso said.
Sundowns struggled to contain the visitors’ attacking threat, while USM Alger demonstrated greater efficiency in converting their chances.
Heavy Rain Affected Sundowns’ Performance
Cardoso also discussed the difficult playing conditions at Loftus Versfeld after heavy rainfall disrupted the second half.
The weather made it challenging for Sundowns to play their preferred style, but the coach was quick to dismiss any suggestion that the conditions were responsible for the defeat.
“When I saw the conditions of the pitch in the second half, I knew it would be tough for us, it was not easy to play [with the rain]. It was catastrophic, but it’s not excuses,” he explained.
He added that Sundowns struggled to find a way back into the match after conceding twice on the counter-attack.
Cardoso also praised USM Alger’s character and congratulated the Algerian club, its players and supporters for securing the trophy.
‘There Is Always Something to Learn From Negatives’
Despite the disappointment, Cardoso believes Sundowns must use the defeat as a learning experience.
With the club facing a two-and-a-half-week break during the FIFA international window, the coach has an opportunity to assess the team’s shortcomings before the domestic campaign resumes.
“There’s always something to learn from negatives, I don’t see another way forward, we wanted to win this,” he said.
Cardoso also recalled a previous encounter at Loftus Versfeld during his time with Esperance, when rain affected the playing conditions and made it difficult for Sundowns to showcase their quality.
The coach believes such experiences underline how challenging football can become when conditions are not ideal.
Cardoso Sends Message About Sundowns’ Response
With two major continental disappointments behind them, Cardoso insists that the club’s response will be more important than the results themselves.
He acknowledged that defeats of this nature can be difficult to accept but maintained that big clubs must find a way to recover.
“Results like this bring you down to the floor, but only one way to react, we have challenges in the short-term, that’s how big teams get out of it. It’s not disaster or catastrophe, there’s no losers in this. I won’t say who was the better team,” Cardoso added.
Sundowns now have to turn their attention to domestic football, with the Carling Knockout Cup, Betway Premiership title race and Nedbank Cup remaining important targets.
The pressure will be on Cardoso to restore confidence and ensure the Brazilians finish the campaign strongly.
Do you agree with Cardoso that Sundowns can recover from these continental setbacks?
