Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso says Nuno Santos and Miguel Reisinho are not direct replacements for Lucas Ribeiro Costa, but they bring quality to the squad.
The Portuguese duo who were lured to the club from the Primeira Liga were influential in the 3-1 win over St Eloi Lupopo, with Santos bagging a brace and Reisinho with two assists, the first a sumptuous through ball to set up his compatriot.
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It’s brought questions whether they can compensate for losing the Premier Soccer League Footballer of the Season, who won the league’s Golden Boot in a clean sweep of major awards last campaign, as well as the FIFA Club World Cup Goal of the tournament and a nomination for the FIFA Puskas Award.
“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 said.
“When we have quality it’s easier, when you don’t have, 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 in a season with traumatic injuries.
“But it’s good there are players lifting their level so that we can be on 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.
“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.”
Sundowns now turn their attention to MC Alger, as they travel next week to face their former head coach Rulani Mokwena.
[Image credit: Lebogang Tsosetsi]
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