Cardoso Remains Tight-Lipped On Ribeiro’s Future
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso refrained from commenting on the speculation surrounding Lucas Ribeiro’s future, citing that it’s not up to him to provide answers.
Ribeiro, who has been absent from the team since June, has been linked to a potential move to Qatar SC, a former club of Percy Tau.
The Brazilian footballer had a great season last season, which earned him four individual awards, including Player’s Player of the Season, Footballer of the Season, Golden Boot Award, and Goal of the Season.
The 26-year-old also won the Goal of the Tournament award in the Club World Cup, further solidifying his reputation as a top player.
Cardoso, however, was tight-lipped about Ribeiro’s situation after Sundowns’ 1-1 draw against Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 semifinal first leg on Saturday.
“I don’t think it’s up to me to answer the question of Lucas,” Cardoso said of Ribeiro, who has not played a single match this season.
“For sure, in the meantime, you will know what happened with him.”
Meanwhile, Cardoso praised the performance of Arthur Sales, who has been starting in Ribeiro’s absence.
Sales has scored one goal and assisted two goals in all competitions for Sundowns this season. In the match against Pirates, Sales was substituted by Devine Lunga around the 70th minute due to an injury.
“Regarding Arthur, he is doing well,” Cardoso said.
“He’s showing that he understands what the team wants from that position, and bringing his ‘A’ game to help the team.
“As I said, no one should expect one player to replace another. We have to utilize the characteristics that Arthur exhibits and is improving upon, and he’s getting better with each match.
“Let’s hope he can stabilize his performance at a very high level because he is a player that we trust. We can’t be making a copycat of a player who isn’t with the team at the moment.”
Cardoso’s comments suggest that while Ribeiro’s absence has created an opportunity for Arthur to shine, the team is not trying to replicate Ribeiro’s style. Instead, they are focusing on utilizing Arthur’s strengths to drive their success.
Sundowns will face Magesi on Wednesday in the league game, followed by the second leg of the MTN8 semifinal against Orlando Pirates at home.
