Miguel Cardoso adapting as Mamelodi Sundowns battle uncertainties

Once again, the Brazilians lined up without defender Khuliso Mudau and striker Lucas Ribeiro, with the former still on personal leave after Sundowns reportedly blocked a move abroad, while the latter awaits a potential move to Qatar, Europe or his native Brazil.

Despite their absences, Sundowns delivered their first Betway Premiership win of the season with a 2-0 victory over AmaZulu on Tuesday night, and the coach is confident the club will resolve the personnel issues soon. 

"I would like that it could have been handled even before the season started, but it's not like that because things happened after, so we are just dealing with the situation in the best way," said Cardoso.

"The club is very professional and also very capable of solving the issues we have at hand, and the club is not on sale so we know very well where we want to go.

"So I just need to keep the work with the team, I will always give my best with whatever players I have, and the players inside the locker room will always fight for the shirt and badge on their chest, and that's what we're going to do.

"And I believe that's the correct way to handle [the situation]. Of course, at a club like Sundowns that exposes the players at the highest level of international football, in the Club World Cup, and did well, it's normal that things will appear.

"But we cannot also allow those things to happen in a way that they should not, we – as I said – are not for sale, and people cannot not respect the value we have inside because we have value, of course."

READ: Miguel Cardoso mum on Mamelodi Sundowns trio’s absence

Cardoso also believes a player like Zuko Mdunyelwa – stepping in at right-back in the absence of Mudau – will continue to grow, the more minutes he is given.

"Zuko is not where we want, but he's on the way. I remember last year he played five matches in a row and got injured in the fifth, and he was always improving," he added.

"It's normal for a player that doesn't play for so long that he also gets the confidence and understanding the feel of things, and the more the team is settled on the pitch, the more he will be helped.

"So I think the first half didn't help him, but in the second half we saw him more comfortable, and that's what we need – we also saw him much better in the first game against Richards Bay because the team was much better.

"So it's important when you bring young or new players into the team, that the team is strong so that those players feel more comfortable to play.

"We trust [Mdunyelwa], obviously he's not Khuliso Mudau, he's not Thapelo Morena, he has another name, other characteristics and he's another player, but also a very interesting player that will grow, for sure, if he continues to play."