Knocked out by Wiliete SC before the group stage, Mamelodi Sundowns surprise Durban City coach Eric Tinkler. He believes a packed schedule and the 2026 World Cup, which kept Ronwen Williams busy with South Africa, may have contributed to their exit.
Mamelodi Sundowns will not be in the group stage of the 2026/27 Champions League. The South African club was held to a 1-1 draw by Wiliete SC at Loftus Versfeld, and the 1-1 aggregate score sent Wiliete SC through on the away goals rule, according to Soccer Laduma. It is the first time in eleven editions that Sundowns have failed to reach the group stage.
The elimination surprised Eric Tinkler. The coach was speaking after Durban City’s 2-0 defeat to Stellenbosch FC in the Carling Knockout round of 16 on Wednesday night, with Sinoxolo Kwayiba scoring twice. He took the opportunity to give his analysis, pointing to the number of matches players have to play in succession.
A surprise that raises questions
“I think obviously for all of us it was a surprise that Sundowns didn’t qualify, for me especially, I expected them to qualify because of the quality and everything that they have. But it obviously begs a lot of other questions as to what were the reasons.” According to Soccer Laduma, Tinkler makes no secret of his astonishment: for him, the quality of Sundowns’ squad should have been enough to get past the hurdle. But he refuses to settle for a single explanation and prefers to ask what the causes were.
The coach links this observation to the number of competitions and matches: “And like I said, the modern game has changed, you know, the amount of competitions that currently exist and the amount of games that players are having to play, in my view, is a lot, it’s too many.”
Tinkler goes further: “Somewhere along the line there’s going to be fatigue, as I mentioned, that’s going to creep in, and I think it’s crept into Sundowns because they’ve been so successful over the years.” In his view, fatigue has set in at a club that has enjoyed a great deal of success in recent years. This is his opinion, not an explanation put forward by Mamelodi Sundowns.
Key men back from the World Cup
Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, Khuliso Mudau, Aubrey Modiba and Themba Zwane played at the 2026 World Cup with South Africa, Soccer Laduma reports. These five players are at Sundowns.
Last season’s figures give an idea of their workload: Williams made 44 appearances for Sundowns, Modiba 42 and Mokoena 40 before the World Cup.
Tinkler does not claim that the workload alone explains the elimination by Wiliete SC. He puts forward the packed schedule and the World Cup as possible factors.
Pirates, the country’s hope
With Sundowns leaving the continental stage before the group stage, Eric Tinkler says he is confident about Orlando Pirates’ ability to compete in the Champions League group stage, according to Soccer Laduma.
Durban City’s next fixture is a trip to Sundowns in the South African league on Saturday 31 October. That day, the club is also due to unveil its “The Rise Kit” shirt, according to Dailysports.