Cardoso: We Will Struggle Without Mudau And Costa
After Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso boldly claimed that his team will be unmatched in three months once they finalize their signings, he also noted the current difficulties the team faces without key players.
Cardoso specifically highlighted that it is impossible to be fluid at the moment without Lucas Ribeiro Costa and Khuliso Mudau.
Cardoso drew a parallel to other struggling teams, stating that Orlando Pirates will also struggle without Relebohile Mofokeng and that Sporting Lisbon is currently facing challenges after Viktor Gyökeres was sold to Arsenal.
This observation comes as Pirates suffered their second consecutive league defeat in as many matches, a rare occurrence at the start of the season. Mofokeng was on the bench for a significant portion of their match against Marumo Gallants on Tuesday, a game they lost.
Similarly, Sundowns secured a 2-0 victory over AmaZulu on Tuesday, despite playing their third straight game without Mudau and Costa.
Mudau, a key player, is reportedly in contract negotiations, seeking a better package from the club. Meanwhile, Costa, who won the PSL Footballer of the Season, PSL Players’ Player of the Season, Top Goalscorer, and Goal of the Season awards, is attracting interest from clubs in Qatar and his home country, Brazil.
Cardoso did provide a small update on Mudau’s situation against Chippa United last weekend, suggesting that his return is imminent, but offered no new information on Costa’s future.
Cardoso’s Perspective on Player Importance
“This Sundowns team will develop through the season, I have no doubt about that, for sure. It has to,” said Cardoso.
“It’s important that when you take out Ribeiro in a team like this, when you take out Mudau in a team like this, and you also don’t have Thapelo Morena to close that gap, [you will struggle].”
He continued by pointing out the challenges of integrating the current team. “When you have a team bringing up players like [Siyabonga] Mabena, [Letlhaku] Kutlwano, it is obvious that the team will suffer.”
Cardoso reiterated the importance of key players by mentioning the situations at other clubs. “You go to Sporting in Portugal, you take out Gyökeres that went to Arsenal, they are struggling. You take out Mofokeng from Pirates and you will see how they will struggle, because they are players that are key in the way the team plays.”
He acknowledged that the team must adapt. “It is up to us now to try to find the solution collectively so that we can obviously overcome what he [Costa] used to do on the pitch. But we, emotionally, are not attached to that. We are working, we are developing inside the club.”
Sundowns will have to quickly find solutions to their key player absences as they prepare to face Orlando Pirates in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-final at a sold-out Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
Pirates, who are hugely attached to this cup, having won this in the last three seasons, are expected to have Mofokeng on the field, a player who proved to be a significant threat by scoring twice in the last meeting between the two sides.
