Cardoso Shares Verdict on Santos & Two Other New Faces

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has shared his thoughts on the players who made their debut during the team's 1-0 loss to Golden Arrows at King Zwelithini Stadium on Wednesday.

In an attempt to change the game's momentum, Cardoso brought in three new players in the second half: Nuno Santos, Bennet Mokoena, and Tsiki Ntsabeleng.

CARDOSO COMMENDS NUNO SANTOS’ IMPACT

Despite the defeat, Cardoso was pleased with the contributions of the new players. “The new players tried their best, I have nothing [bad] to point,” he said. He specifically commended Nuno Santos for his performance.

“We brought in Nuno and dropped Marcelo to be closer to Teboho in order to implement the capacity to play in the middle. I think I have nothing to say, he did very well,” Cardoso stated.

The coach also spoke highly of young Bennet Mokoena, who was recently promoted from the DDC side. He lauded Mokoena's “lively performance,” calling him “a goal-scorer and… a player that is pretty dangerous.” Cardoso believes Mokoena is a player for both the present and the future, noting his maturity on the field.

“We saw him on the pitch, it’s like he’s been there for one year already, he was comfortable,” he said, adding that even though he missed a shot, “we felt his presence on the pitch.”

Cardoso concluded his assessment by discussing Tsiki Ntsabeleng, who he believes needs more time to acclimate to the team's system. He noted that Ntsabeleng is “still adapting even physically and understanding what we want,” implying that the player is still adjusting to the physical and tactical demands of the team.