Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is counting on his new signings to bring fresh energy after a significant squad overhaul during the off-season.
The 2025 Fifa Club World Cup finalists have faced pressure since the season began, even though they remain one of the league’s top teams, sitting on 21 points after ten matches.
Their loss to Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 increased off-field pressure, with many fans showing their dissatisfaction towards the coach. This followed ongoing issues with last season’s PSL Player of the Season, Lucas Ribeiro Costa, who boycotted a return to the club to push for a move away before the transfer market closed.
Much of his stance against the club stemmed from his impressive performances in the global tournament. Despite his side not reaching the last 16, he attracted attention with standout displays in a tough group featuring German giants Borussia Dortmund, Brazilian side Fluminense, and South Korean outfit HD Ulsan.
Sundowns have seen more departures than arrivals in the last transfer window, though the club has made some notable signings, including former Stellenbosch FC defender Fawaaz Basadien and, more recently, Portuguese attacker Nuno Santos along with compatriot Miguel Reisinho.
Cardoso, who also guided the team to their second-ever CAF Champions League final last season, has been under immense pressure. A lengthy injury list at a critical point in the season has added to his challenges, yet Santos’ signing has already shown promise as one of the standout additions this season.
“It happened due to a couple of situations that happened at the same time,” Cardoso explained how Santos was signed by his side.
“His club needed to release some players to manage their own organisation. Nuno wanted a challenge abroad that could give him a different challenge.
“The name Sundowns appealed to him after the World Cup we had, and also due to the fact that I am a Portuguese coach and it was important to approach the players. Let’s just hope they can impact the team like we want them to do.”
The Portuguese coach hopes the new arrivals will give the squad a boost, especially with several key players still sidelined by injury.
“What is good is that quality players help the others to feel confident,” he continued.
“And that is a little bit of what has happened to Sundowns. With the loss of Lucas, the injury to Themba Zwane, and the loss of (Khuliso) Mudau and now Thapelo (Morena), Grant (Kekana) is also not with the team.”
Cardoso stressed that such changes require time to adjust.
“The team has lost important reference, and we live within a society that in general is spontaneous and football is not like that. To replace players that have had an impact on a team needs time, and time means training—but we don’t train.
“When we have breaks, about 12 or 13 of our players will go out (Fifa international breaks), and they come back with different football heads, and we have to gather them again. It’s going to happen again next week.”
