Cardoso Explains Why Sundowns Signed León To Fix Striking Problem
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says strengthening the strike force with the signing of Brayan León was a priority, as it was an issue the club could not resolve during the off-season.
León has made an immediate impact, quickly repaying the investment Sundowns made when they signed him from Independiente Medellín for over R50 million in the January transfer window. During his time in Colombia, he scored 33 goals and registered 17 assists in 118 appearances.
The Colombian striker has been in prolific form, scoring four goals in his last two matches. He netted twice against MC Alger in the CAF Champions League group stages last weekend, helping Sundowns secure their place in the knockout rounds.
He followed that up with a brace in a 2-1 victory over Orlando Pirates in a blockbuster league clash at FNB Stadium on Wednesday. His quick-fire first-half double reduced the gap at the top of the table to three points, with Sundowns still holding a game in hand.
Since arriving, León has scored six goals in seven matches across all competitions.
Sundowns will once again rely on him when they face TS Galaxy in the Nedbank Cup Round of 16 at Solomon Mahlangu Stadium on Saturday.
Cardoso emphasised the importance of squad depth for teams competing on multiple fronts.
“A team like Sundowns this season — and last season Orlando Pirates were in the same situation, and Stellenbosch went far in the CAF Confederation Cup — when you play international competitions and try to reach the final stages of local competitions, you need a big squad,” said Cardoso.
“I think that was the message at the beginning of the season, even if it was not always well understood whether we would have a smaller squad. It meant having both quantity and quality. The effort from the sporting direction has been to balance the level of the players so that we can rotate without feeling a drop in quality. That has been a strong effort from the sporting department.”
Addressing the striker situation, Cardoso admitted there had been concerns earlier in the season.
“Regarding the strikers, León is in his best moment at Sundowns since he arrived. There was some inconsistency and uncertainty from our side about his capacity to become an asset. We are very happy that things are going well — he is helping the team, and there is a smile on his face,” he said.
“Peter Shalulile is a player we know what we can get from him, and Iqraam Rayners was also important last season and just needs consistency to earn his space.
“We understood we needed something more for the future. There was hard work from the group led by Flemming Berg to identify Brayan. That was complemented by the coaches in analysing his technical and tactical profile.
“We had several conversations with him to get to know the person he is and to understand whether the move to South Africa would appeal to him so that we could welcome him with open arms. Sundowns is a great environment to receive people. I felt that Brayan and I were aligned, and that helped him settle.
“Even with competition, it is very healthy for Peter. Everyone in our structure understands that today is one day and tomorrow is another — and that is very important.”
