Cardoso On Ndlovu: “Offensively He Has That Magic”

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has called for patience with Siyanda Ndlovu as the winger prepares to face his former club, Golden Arrows, on Sunday.

The 22-year-old joined the Brazilians from Golden Arrows during the pre-season but is yet to make his full debut for the reigning African champions.

Sundowns have played four matches so far this season, with Ndlovu featuring twice, coming off the bench against Kaizer Chiefs and Marumo Gallants. He will now be hoping for more minutes when Sundowns face his former club in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-final at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday.

Cardoso believes Ndlovu has the qualities to become an important player for Sundowns but stressed that the winger still needs time to adapt, improve his match fitness and understand the team’s demands.

“Our job as coaches is obviously to create the conditions for players to be consistent,” he said.

“Siyanda is a player who has already played many PSL matches. I remember last year, for example, we also had a lot of excitement around Siyabonga Mabena, and we even played him in several matches at the beginning of the season, but there was a little lack of consistency from him. We had to go for another round. We will still promote him in the future for sure, but he has to take another step.

“So, the level of readiness of a player obviously says a lot about how many chances he will continue to have. I think it was very important that Sundowns could get Siyanda.

“For the group, he is a player that we have a lot of expectations for. I think I was already very clear when I spoke about him and what his pre-season was like.

“He got injured, I can repeat, after one week and a few days of training, and he did not train until one week before the first match he played, which was against Chiefs. So, his match readiness is still developing.

“His understanding of the team is still developing. Of course, offensively, he has that magic that everybody sees, but, for example, defensively, he has a lot of inconsistencies and a lot of things to develop.

“But we are also excited, like everybody else, about him. We want to get that energy and take advantage of it as much as possible. But we know that to develop a player for the long term, both for Sundowns and the country, we need to work a lot with him, and he is willing to do it because he is very excited to be with us.”

The Portuguese coach also praised Ndlovu’s attacking qualities, highlighting his creativity and ability to make a difference against teams that defend in compact formations.

“So, we are very happy,” he added.

“Obviously, we also have a lot of competition in those positions, but he is a creative player who can sometimes help coaches unlock teams that are narrow, tight and closing spaces.

“In the moments when teams get tired, or to create tiredness in the opposition, those players are very important because you cannot give him even one centimetre. In tight spaces, he is very offensive.

“So, we are happy from our side, but as a young player, we also need to create the proper emotional and psychological environment. It is important that you, the media, and also the fans, understand how to relate to these players.

“I remember that in those first matches from last season, every time Mabena had the ball, everybody was shouting for him to dribble, and in most of those moments he should have passed the ball.

“So, the way we also relate to a player has to make him understand the collective environment in which he plays, because it is the team that will create spaces and moments for him to use the one-on-one, the dribbling, the speed in space and the movements he makes off the ball.

“And if he does it that way, he can be an important player in a strong team. I think that is what we are going to do together, with the right tempo and the right opportunities, so that the boy grows not for a small spell, but for the future.”

Ndlovu will be hoping to make his full debut against his former club on Sunday and could also be looking to open his Sundowns goalscoring account.

The winger is yet to score or provide an assist for Sundowns, and the MTN8 semi-final could provide another opportunity for him to make an impact as Cardoso continues to carefully manage his development.