Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has made it clear that the club’s latest Portuguese arrivals are not at Chloorkop to fill the void left by last season’s PSL Footballer of the Season, Lucas Ribeiro.
The Brazilians have unveiled Nuno Santos from Portuguese side Vitória de Guimarães, while Miguel Reisinho is expected to join shortly on a free transfer after his stint with Boavista FC. Despite their pedigree, Cardoso stressed that the new recruits should not be seen as direct replacements for Ribeiro.
Miguel Cardoso: “That’s not what we are looking for”
Santos made his debut in the shock 1-0 defeat to Golden Arrows on Wednesday. While Cardoso admitted that Ribeiro’s presence could have altered the outcome, he reiterated that Sundowns are building a new collective identity rather than finding a like-for-like replacement.
“No player will replace Lucas because that’s not what we are looking for. We want to reinforce the team, and every player has their own characteristics. Neither Nuno nor Miguel Reisinho have the characteristics that Lucas had,” Cardoso explained.
The coach praised Ribeiro as a special player who could decide games on his own but emphasised that the team must now evolve.
“Lucas is a wonderful memory and a good friend, but that’s in the past. Mamelodi Sundowns will develop to be a different team collectively than it was before. We need to welcome everyone and grow in that sense.”
Quick Turnaround After Arrows Setback
Sundowns won’t have long to reflect on their midweek loss, as they prepare to host Richards Bay at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday evening. Cardoso remains confident his charges will bounce back swiftly.
“We’re strong, resilient and capable of moving forward. We will do that, and it’s good that we already have another game on Saturday,” he said.
“You get punished when you don’t score”
Reflecting on the defeat to Arrows, Cardoso highlighted his team’s missed opportunities in front of goal.
In football, people evaluate differently. When we win and score three goals, everyone says Sundowns played well. But I don’t see it like that. We had more than enough to get a result, yet we didn’t take our chances. In the end, you get punished when you don’t score.”
Cardoso acknowledged Arrows’ effort but remained firm in his belief that Sundowns must sharpen up in attack if they are to avoid similar setbacks.
Related article: Miguel Cardoso Fumes After Mamelodi Sundowns’ 1-0 Shock Defeat
