Miguel Cardoso hints at some extra reinforcements for Sundowns: Any more surprises? | OneFootball

Miguel Cardoso hints at some extra reinforcements for Sundowns: Any more surprises?

While their rivals have embarked on a frenzied spending spree, a philosophy of calculated precision continues to define Mamelodi Sundowns' approach to the transfer market. Head coach Miguel Cardoso has openly identified a key area in his squad requiring reinforcement, yet the reigning champions are steadfastly refusing to simply add numbers.

In a stark contrast to the overhaul at Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs—who have each imported over ten new faces—the Brazilians' business has been minimalist and deliberate. Their incoming traffic consists solely of left-back Fawaaz Basadien, lured from Stellenbosch, a loan move for Tsiki Ntsabeleng from FC Dallas, and the acquisition of Aphelele Teto, who was immediately sent out to gain experience at AmaTuks.

This restrained activity is by design, not accident. Cardoso has consistently championed the virtue of a compact, tight-knit squad over a bloated roster. This belief has been actioned by a conscious clear-out of several first-team players, making room not for quantity, but for the specific, high-quality addition that Cardoso believes will perfect his machine, rather than disrupt its rhythm.

What exactly did Miguel Cardoso say?

A mounting injury crisis has forced Mamelodi Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso to publicly declare his intention to enter the transfer market for attacking reinforcements. The former Esperance coach made the revelation following his team's narrow 1-0 league victory over Stellenbosch FC this past Saturday.

Addressing reporters in the aftermath of the hard-fought win, Cardoso was keen to first emphasize the quality of their opponents, noting, “We played against a very good team, I just want everyone to remember that Stellenbosch reached the [CAF] Confederation Cup semi-final last season.”

He further contextualized the challenge by adding, “If I remember, Stellenbosch also won twice against Sundowns in the MTN8 last year, so it was a tricky match and I don’t think many teams take points out of them here at home.”

While pleased with a dominant statistical performance, stating “We had one hell of a first-half with 80% of the ball-possession, eight shots with four of them on target,” the victory came at a cost. The match exacerbated the club's injury woes, with Arthur Sales being substituted at halftime and Siyabonga Mabena suffering a knee setback.

This prompted Cardoso to directly link the match events to the club's urgent transfer plans, concluding, “Remember that Thapelo Maseko is also injured, so we’ve got issues with the players on the front, and that’s the positions we’re working on to reinforce the team.”