Mamelodi Sundowns, the defending CAF Champions League champions, have been knocked out of the competition before the group stage for the first time since 2015. Angola’s Wiliete SC eliminated them on the away goals rule after a 1-1 aggregate draw in the second preliminary round.

The first leg in Lubango ended goalless. In the return match at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night, Sundowns took an early lead through Tashreeq Matthews. His shot from outside the box took a deflection and wrong-footed the goalkeeper in the 11th minute. The hosts looked in control and created several chances.

Wiliete struck back early in the second half. A loose pass in the Sundowns defence fell to Mabululu, who finished calmly past Ronwen Williams around the 49th minute. That away goal proved decisive. Sundowns pushed hard for a winner and had far more shots, but they could not add another. The match finished 1-1, and Wiliete advanced.

This is a major setback for the South African side. They had reached the group stage in each of the previous 11 seasons and won the title last year. The exit ends their title defence before it properly began. For Wiliete, founded in 2018, it is a historic moment. The Angolan club will appear in the CAF Champions League group stage for the first time.

Head coach Miguel Cardoso did not hide from the result. He called the exit a failure for everyone at the club. “It’s a failure, it’s a failure for everybody. We should embrace it, from players, coaches and everybody,” he said. Cardoso noted that his team controlled the game and created enough opportunities inside the box in both halves. They simply failed to score the goals needed. He said missing those chances left them open to anything that happened later. He refused to use missing players as an excuse and stressed that the squad available should have done better.

Cardoso pointed out that Sundowns have already won the MTN8 and are leading the Betway Premiership. He described the result as a big punch but said the focus must now shift to the competitions still left. The club can still chase domestic trophies and other honours this season.

The outcome adds Sundowns to a short list of defending champions eliminated early in the CAF Champions League. Al Ahly suffered similar early exits in 2009 and 2018, while Raja Casablanca went out before the groups in 2000. It shows that even strong favourites can stumble against well-organised sides that take their limited chances. Wiliete’s experienced players, including Mabululu, made the difference on the night.

For Sundowns, the season continues. The early continental exit will sting, but Cardoso and the players now have a clear task: recover quickly and deliver in the remaining matches at home and abroad.

Source: https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2114403330457764137