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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like to individualise performances too much \u2013 I think we have players who could rise and not replace [Ribeiro]. We don\u2019t expect anyone to replace anyone, but bring quality [to the squad]. We depend on quality, as coaches,\u201d Cardoso told reporters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen we have quality, it\u2019s easier; when you don\u2019t have it, it\u2019s harder. Unfortunately, this season we had difficult times, not due to a lack of players but because they got injured; we\u2019re dealing with traumatic injuries in a season with traumatic injuries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the right intensity, with persistence and when you don\u2019t do it, you get close to suffering goals like we did today, because we didn\u2019t press in the right way, we can\u2019t be complacent in Champions League \u2013 we understand that and corrected it at half-time. \u201cWe have a good reaction, and I think we\u2019re all pleased by the performance we saw \u2013 beautiful game, beautiful game.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cardoso warns against individualising performances amid Santos and Ribeiro comparison<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":983,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,29],"tags":[55,99,58,103],"class_list":["post-982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-news","category-local-news","tag-betway-premiership","tag-caf-champions-league","tag-mamelodi-sundowns","tag-miguel-cardoso"],"yoast_head":"\n