The 2026/27 continental champions suffered a shock second qualifying round exit at the hands of Angolan side Wiliete SC.
The club responded to the loss with a 1-0 victory over Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout last 16 on Tuesday night.
Speaking after the game, where Siyanda Ndlovu scored the only goal, Cardoso explained that Motsepe was supportive towards the players following their CAF defeat.
“The chairman was very supportive. He spoke to the team with the right approach and with the right motivation to look forward to what we have,” Cardoso said in the Citizen.
Looking forward, the Downs boss added: “It’s too late to cry over spilt milk, but that doesn’t mean we don’t recognise the moment or what happened.
READ: Miguel Cardoso Hails Mamelodi Sundowns’ Character After Carling Knockout Win Over Marumo Gallants
“As soon as we understood what needed to be done in the future, that’s when we started collecting energy.”
“That’s why I spoke about the proof of character to win this match and show people that we’re alive. Even though we didn’t play the way we wanted to, we needed to tell our fans that we will fight for this badge,” Cardoso added.
“It was important to win immediately after the last match that we had. It was important to show our fans commitment, show them that we need them and that they can count on us.”
Sundowns are next in action at home to Durban City on Saturday.