Cardoso: Player uncertainty has affected Sundowns’ start to the season
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has acknowledged that uncertainty over some of his players’ futures has affected their form on the field. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
The Mamelodi Sundowns locker room is usually a place of confidence and routine, but this week, uncertainty hangs heavy as key players weigh their futures. Head coach Miguel Cardoso has admitted that that uncertainty has affected the club’s start to the season.
Perennial league champions Sundowns have been uncharacteristically slow out of the blocks this season, managing just four points from their opening two games.
After drawing 1-1 against Chippa United in their league opener, Sundowns rebounded to beat AmaZulu 2-0 on Tuesday.
Cardoso attributed their struggles to transfer speculation and uncertainty surrounding his team. Star forward Lucas Ribeiro is reportedly in Qatar, waiting for his move to Qatar SC to be finalised, while Namibian hitman Peter Shalulile is reportedly considering a move after falling in the pecking order.
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And then there’s Bafana Bafana defender Khuliso Mudau, who has not featured this season as he waits for an improved contract offer from the club.
“It’s not easy to deal with what’s happening in the team without being concerned or believing it doesn’t affect the players. We would be naïve to think they aren’t aware of these things,” Cardoso said, as per iDiski Times.
“They do. They are friends, they are inside the locker room, they for sure speak [to each other], so it’s impossible [not to affect them]. But it’s possible to keep a strong mentality and a strong will to win every match, despite those things happening.
“It’s the values we want to grow and that we have inside the locker room that don’t allow the direction of the team or club to go this way because of events that might happen [players leaving],” said Cardoso.
After their first two league games, focus will shift back to the MTN8 for Sundowns. This weekend, they travel to Soweto for their semi-final against Orlando Pirates.
Despite the off-field distractions, Cardoso and his squad know that Sundowns’ reputation as perennial contenders demands focus and resilience.
The upcoming MTN8 semi-final against Orlando Pirates will be an early test of the team’s ability to block out uncertainty and perform on the big stage – a challenge that could define the start of their season and set the tone for their title defence.
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