Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says Brayan Léon Muñiz’s adaptation has been assisted by everyone including the South American contingent.
Léon signed for Sundowns this January and has hit the ground running, scoring two goals in three appearances, against Magesi FC and the winner in the 2-0 Betway Premiership victory over Sekhukhune United in Polokwane on Tuesday.
Cardoso said the player has a positive mind-set who has helped a lot while adding that the environment in his team makes it easier for anyone to gel in though of course players have their moments especially with language barriers.
“Look, when I came in Sundowns, I felt very easy the adaptation, Sundowns is a club very friendly,” said Cardoso when asked about how Léon is adapting.
“The relations between people are very friendly despite the level of professionalism that we need to have the relations are friendly. The locker room is very healthy. So, it’s more easy obviously for a player to adapt in these kind of clubs than others. And obviously that sometimes people say you have a group of Portuguese, Spanish, Brazilian players and the other ones. No, we don’t have, they share together.
“The thing is normal obviously that when they sit to eat, they want to speak within themselves. Brayan doesn’t speak English. Miguel [Reisinho] doesn’t speak English. Nuno [Santos] speaks quite well. Arthur [Sales] already understands very well and speaks a little bit. Marcel [Allende] speaks more, so that it’s normal that they manage. But those players were important on his adaptation of course, in terms of helping him to feel at home. He’s a very positive player in terms of mind-set and I think that positive mind-set helps him a lot to have been succeeding in what he did.
Cardoso went further to acknowledge his other strikers saying they have all had a good impact whenever given time admitting he has a tough time as a coach selecting.
“Anyway, I want to highlight also the work that Lebo [Mothiba] did in the two previous matches,” added the coach.
“I would like to highlight the work that Iqraam [Rayners] has been doing for this team since he came from Stellenbosch and the goals that he has been scored and the work that he did. Today he had a very tough job in the beginning of the match to open and to get tired those centre-backs.
“And also, how Peter Shalulile is always someone we can count on for everything and mostly for quality. He has three actions, all of them could have been goals and the second goal is an assist from him, so also to highlight that.
“And as much as they relate best with being outside sometimes, because it has to happen, because four strikers is impossible to play at the same time, two, it’s possible rotate to one. It’s possible rotate to the four of them must happen throughout matches. So, they need to keep the spirit, the mentality strong, so that indeed, the positive vibe and approach allows them, when they go inside, to have a great performance.”
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