Cardoso Admits Blame For Rushing Sibiya

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso admitted he rushed teenager Thato Sibiya into high-pressure starting roles too quickly, pointing to their grueling CAF Champions League away match against Al Hilal as a premature exposure for the academy graduate.

Sibiya caught the eye on his senior debut against Orbit College, delivering an impressive performance that earned him the Man of the Match award. His display convinced Cardoso to place his trust in the young defender and hand him further opportunities.

However, one of those opportunities came in a high-pressure Champions League clash against Al Hilal, where Sibiya struggled to replicate the form he had shown on debut.

Cardoso believes that while the youngster showed great promise, he may have been exposed to a level of competition that was difficult to sustain consistently at such an early stage of his development.

“It’s very good that we can speak about that because, for example, I think one of the reasons we didn’t start the season as strongly as we could have was that we had to immediately introduce too many young players because we lacked numbers at the time,” said Cardoso.

“And we probably exposed them to a level they were not yet able to sustain, especially considering the results the team needed. Promoting young players is a challenge for a coach, but it is also a beautiful one.

“Look, this medal is very important, but helping a young player reach first-team level is a medal that is just as valuable, and I know that. But the way you do it can either help a player grow or damage his development, and you cannot afford to get that wrong.

“For example, we believe a lot in Thato Sibiya. We know he has the potential to become a fantastic left-back, but perhaps I believed in him too much by starting him in the away match against Al Hilal.

“He had come off two fantastic performances in the league, including a Man of the Match display, and I was so confident that I said, ‘No, he can start that match.’ But we realised as soon as the game began that it was a huge challenge.”

Sibiya was also included in Sundowns’ travelling squad to Morocco for the CAF Champions League final, further underlining Cardoso’s faith in the youngster as the club went on to conquer Africa last month against FAR Rabat.

“But we continue to believe in him. This boy will have many opportunities, and perhaps he will become even stronger because we gave him that experience. At that moment, however, we paid a price for it — not only because of him, but because of the circumstances as well. Timing, opportunity, and the way you introduce young players are so decisive,” he added.

“I think it is very important to understand that developing young players also means creating assets for the club. It saves the club money because you do not need to buy players when you can produce them yourself. That should be a motivation for everyone who works at this club.”