Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has warned against individualising performances after Nuno Santos and Miguel Reisinho’s sparkling display against FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo.
Nuno Santos grabbed a brace and an assist to inspire Masandawana to a 3-1 win over the DR Congolese side in their opening CAF Champions League Group C match on Saturday, with Reisinho also setting up one of the goals at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
The Portuguese duo’s eye-catching performances have drawn comparisons with reigning PSL Player of the Season Lucas Ribeiro, who controversially left Sundowns for Spanish side Cultural Leonesa in September this year.
Cardoso has made it clear that Reisinho and Santos, who joined the Tshwane giants in the last transfer window, are not direct replacements for Ribeiro and he also discussed the challenges faced by his side.
“I don’t like to individualise performances too much – I think we have players who could rise and not replace [Ribeiro]. We don’t expect anyone to replace anyone, but bring quality [to the squad]. We depend on quality, as coaches,” Cardoso told reporters.
“When we have quality, it’s easier; when you don’t have it, it’s harder. Unfortunately, this season we had difficult times, not due to a lack of players but because they got injured; we’re dealing with traumatic injuries in a season with traumatic injuries.
“But it’s good that players are lifting their level so that we can be at the height of the demand because the demand is very, very high, expectations are always very high, but what is important is that the locker room understands that games are played from the first to the last minute with the focus in the right direction,” the Portuguese tactican added.
“In the right intensity, with persistence and when you don’t do it, you get close to suffering goals like we did today, because we didn’t press in the right way, we can’t be complacent in Champions League – we understand that and corrected it at half-time. “We have a good reaction, and I think we’re all pleased by the performance we saw – beautiful game, beautiful game.”
