Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has urged supporters to be patient with exciting new signing Siyanda Ndlovu, drawing comparisons with Siyabonga Mabena and warning against placing too much pressure on the young winger.
Ndlovu joined Sundowns from Golden Arrows in the off-season and has already generated plenty of excitement among the club’s supporters, with his directness, creativity and ability in one-on-one situations quickly catching the eye.
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However, Cardoso believes Sundowns must carefully manage the 20-year-old’s development to ensure his potential translates into consistency.
“Our job as coaches is how easily we can create conditions for players to be consistent, Siyanda is a player who has played many PSL matches, last year we had a lot of excitement around Mabena and aligned him over some matches, but there was a lack of consistency from him,” Cardoso said.
“Then he now needs to go to another route, and he will be promoted in the future for sure, but we have to make another step, so the level of readiness – of a player obviously speaks a lot about how many chances he will continue to have.”
Cardoso believes Ndlovu’s arrival is an important addition to Sundowns’ attacking options, although his development has been disrupted by injury since joining the club.
“I think it was very important that Sundowns could get Siyanda for the group, he’s a player that we have a lot of expectations, I was quite clear in the moments I spoke about him over his pre-season, he got injured after the first week,” he explained.
“He didn’t train until the week of the first match he played, which was Chiefs, so his match readiness is still developing, his understanding of the team is still developing, offensively, he has that magic everyone sees.
“But for example he has inconsistencies in defending and many things to develop, but we’re excited as everyone is for him, we want to get that energy and profit from it as a much as possible but we know that develop a player for long-term for both Sundowns and the country, we need to work a lot on him and he’s willing to do it because he’s very excited to be with us.”
The Portuguese coach also highlighted the tactical value Ndlovu can offer, particularly against opponents who sit deep and attempt to restrict space.
“We’re happy but we also have a lot of competition in those positions but he’s a player that has creativity to help the coaches deal with the deep block, teams that are narrow, tight and closing spaces,” Cardoso said.
“And when teams get tired or even to create tiredness, these players are very important, you can’t lose a centimetre on him because in short spaces he is very unpredictable.
“So happy from my side but as a young player he is – we also need to create the proper emotional and psychological environment.”
It is that final point which Cardoso believes is particularly important, with the Sundowns coach calling on supporters and the media to play their part in Ndlovu’s development.
Cardoso recalled how the expectations surrounding Mabena previously affected the way supporters reacted to his performances.
“So, it’s important the media and fans understand how to relate with these players, I remember everyone Mabena had the ball, everyone was shouting for him to dribble and most of the moments he should have passed the ball,” he said.
“So the way we relate with players, they need to understand the collective environment where he plays.”
For Cardoso, Ndlovu’s individual qualities must ultimately be developed within the team’s collective structure rather than being relied upon in isolation.
“It’s the team that will create spaces and moments for him to use the 1v1, the dribbling in space, the movements he makes and if he does it well, he can be an important player, inside a strong team,” he added.
“Which is what we will do together in the right time, with the right opportunities, so he grows, not for a small spell but for the future.”
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