How Keanu Cupido fought his way out of Mamelodi Sundowns rut

Despite joining for a reported fee of around R10-million from Cape Town City in January, the centre-back struggled for game time in his first few month in Chloorkop. 

But his stand-out performance in Sundowns' historic 1-0 win over Ulsan HD of South Korea at the FIFA Club World Cup has given Cupido confidence he can cement his place in the team.

"I played a few games, coming on [from the bench] twice in the league, I started a cup game, and after that I felt like I haven't played in a while – mentally it's a bit draining, I won't lie to you," noted Cupido.

"But I also have a good supportive structure at home, and I feel like that helped me a lot – going home to my wife and my son made it a bit easier.

"But at training I felt like, 'Eish, I need to work hard, I need to continue, I can't blame someone or anything else, I need to need to show that I'm ready when the opportunity comes.

"So I felt mentally I prepared myself as well for an opportunity like this [at the Club World Cup], and when it came, I felt like I need to show them and repay them for the trust they gave me as well."

Cupido was a surprise choice by Cardoso in the opening game and the player says saw the game against Ulsan as an opportunity he’d long been waiting for.

"I don't think I was nervous, I would say I was really excited, basically, more than being nervous, and I felt like the coach told us to be ready," he explained.

"So I felt like I was ready and I was preparing myself mentally and physically, and I just wanted to enjoy the game basically, that's all."

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