Remo Stars head coach Tiago Conde has admitted that his side’s 5–1 home loss to Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta exposed the gulf in experience and quality between both teams.
The first leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary round saw the South African champions dominate proceedings, punishing defensive errors and showing superior composure in front of goal.
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Speaking after the match, Conde conceded that Sundowns’ pedigree and structure gave them an edge but maintained that his team would not give up on qualification.
“We respect Sundowns; they are one of the best teams in Africa, and you could see their quality today,” Conde said. “But we’ll take lessons from this defeat. The boys gave everything, and we’ll correct our mistakes before the return leg.”
The Portuguese coach praised his players’ fighting spirit despite the scoreline and noted that the experience would help the team grow in the long run.
“This is football — sometimes you lose to learn. We’ll review our performance, fix our defensive lapses, and approach the second leg with a better mentality,” he added. “Overturning a four-goal deficit is tough, but not impossible.”
Conde also reiterated that Remo Stars remain committed to building a competitive side capable of challenging the continent’s elite in future campaigns.
“We are a young team still finding our rhythm at this level,” he concluded. “This is part of our growth process, and we’ll come back stronger.”
