Cardoso Hails New Duo Santos And Reisinho After CAFCL Win
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says he has no doubt that once Nuno Santos and Miguel Reisinho fully settle in, the team will benefit enormously from their quality.
Santos and Reisinho, who both joined Sundowns during the recent transfer window, were influential as the Brazilians opened their CAF Champions League group-stage campaign with a 3-1 victory over St Eloi Lupopo at Loftus Stadium on Saturday.
Reisinho sparked Sundowns into life when he floated a brilliant ball to Santos for the opener in the fifth minute, with the Portuguese winger hooking it home for his compatriot. Santos then turned provider in the second half, setting up Marcelo Allende for Sundowns’ second goal in the 61st minute.
The 26-year-old Santos, who inherited the iconic No.10 jersey from Lucas Ribeiro Costa, later added his second of the night—Sundowns’ third—to seal the win and send the club to the top of Group C.
“I think what’s important is what the team can do together,” Cardoso told SABC Sport when reflecting on the impact of Santos and Reisinho.
“When they reach their best level and put their strengths on the pitch, the team will profit. We have many high-quality players, and today we saw Nuno and Miguel [Reisinho] stepping up in their first match in this competition.
“It was a good pass, something we’ve worked on. Some days one player shines, and on another day it’s someone else. Consistency will speak for itself, and I see players striving to be consistent in their behaviour so we can continue winning and moving forward.”
This strong start is encouraging for Sundowns, who failed to win their opening two group-stage matches last season—an underwhelming run that ultimately led to the dismissal of Manqoba Mngqithi and the appointment of Cardoso.
Cardoso eventually guided Sundowns to the Champions League final, where they fell short against Egyptian giants Pyramids.
Sundowns—South Africa’s sole representative in this year’s Champions League after Orlando Pirates were eliminated by Lupopo on penalties in the second preliminary round—will next travel to face Rulani Mokwena’s MC Alger on 28 November.
