Mamelodi Sundowns News Today: Cardoso’s Mabena warning for Ndlovu, Mudau replacement mulled & more

Latest Mamelodi Sundowns news as Miguel Cardoso urges patience with exciting new winger Siyanda Ndlovu and addresses whether the club will move to sign cover for the injured Khuliso Mudau.

Cardoso issues Mabena warning over Ndlovu expectations

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has called on fans and media to temper their expectations around new signing Siyanda Ndlovu, pointing to what happened to Siyabonga Mabena as a cautionary tale.

The 20-year-old winger arrived from Golden Arrows in the off-season and has already generated significant excitement among Sundowns supporters, with his creativity and ability to beat defenders in tight spaces quickly catching the eye.

However, Cardoso has been keen to stress that the youngster’s development must be carefully managed.

The Portuguese coach referenced how crowd pressure previously disrupted Mabena’s ability to make the right decisions on the ball.

“Our job as coaches is how easily we can create conditions for players to be consistent, Siyanda is a player who has played many PSL matches, last year we had a lot of excitement around Mabena and aligned him over some matches, but there was a lack of consistency from him,” Cardoso said as per iDiski Times.

“Then he now needs to go to another route, and he will be promoted in the future for sure, but we have to make another step, so the level of readiness – of a player obviously speaks a lot about how many chances he will continue to have.

“So, it’s important the media and fans understand how to relate with these players, I remember everyone Mabena had the ball, everyone was shouting for him to dribble and most of the moments he should have passed the ball,” he said.

Will Sundowns try to sign Mudau’s replacement?

Miguel Cardoso has suggested Mamelodi Sundowns may look to complete the first phase of the season before deciding whether to bring in a right-back to replace the injured Khuliso Mudau.

The Bafana Bafana international suffered a ruptured Achilles in Sundowns’ 2-0 Betway Premiership win over Marumo Gallants at Loftus Versfeld, coming off in the 38th minute. The injury rules him out for the remainder of 2026 and represents a major blow given that Mudau had started all four of Masandawana’s matches across all competitions this season.

Cardoso indicated the club’s preference is to evaluate over the next seven to eight matches and then assess whether any further reinforcements are needed, rather than rushing to the market immediately. He pointed to Thapelo Morena and Zuko Mdunyelwa as the recognised options at right-back currently available in the squad.