Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has shared his thoughts on Thato Sibiya’s imminent move to Ligue 1 giants LOSC Lille.
Sibiya, 20, has emerged as one of the brightest talents in South African football and was part of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winning squad in 2025 and went on to star at the U20 FIFA World Cup in Chile.
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He was part of the first team in their pre-season in Austria, but is now set for a move to France, with a loan with an option to buy agreed with Masandawna, as reported by iDiski Times.
Cardoso admits Sundowns value the left-back highly, but admitted it’s a fantastic opportunity for a player who could become very valuable for South Africa.
“Regarding Thato, it’s a fantastic opportunity,” the stated on Monday.
“As you know, I coached in France, so I know very well the club he goes to, I know very well the facilities that they have, I know very well the stability in terms of the process of developing young players.
“It’s also at the same time a very, very competitive environment that he’ll face. Obviously, I think he’s ready for the challenge.
“What will speak for him is not the level of readiness he takes, it’s the level of readiness he’s gonna still develop there.
“French football is very special, it’s a very flat football. He will have to cope with a lot of fast players, it’s a game of transition, a lot of exploitation of spaces. In some moments it can be compared to our game, but Lille is a good school of football, a team that likes to play good football.
“As much as we believe he could be an important player for the future of Sundowns, we also know he will be an important player for the future of South Africa – that’s an opportunity it’s difficult to say no.
“And the club has to protect their own rights on the situation, so we’re excited about that, we want to show him succeed. And we want to show him the character he needs, so it shows what kind of players we develop in the club.”
Sibiya made his first team debut last season, in a 2-0 win in the Betway Premiership over ORBIT College, immediately laying an assist.
Overall, he has made four appearances for Downs’ senior side, whilst still featuring prominently in the DStv Diski Challenge squad last campaign.
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