Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has addressed the displays of Malibongwe Khoza at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) where he also starred in a midfield role for the South Africa national team.
Khoza, 21, has become a regular for Sundowns since earning promotion from their DStv Diski Challenge squad and racked up 30 appearances for the club in his debut season with the senior set-up.
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It earned him a call-up to the CHAN squad where he was one of the standout players in East Africa before their last-minute heartbreak in Kampala which saw them eliminated after conceding two late penalties against the hosts.
He was thrown straight into the starting line-up by Cardoso, upon his return, in their 0-0 draw against Kaizer Chiefs in mid-week at a sold out FNB Stadium.
“Malibongwe Khoza just arrived from the national team, played very well in another position and we had no problems to put him in to play, where he did very well, and this is exactly what we do… we trust players,” Cardoso said.
“How many times have I spoken about trust inside our locker room, a player comes and we have no problems because we trust – and they just have to give answers, because when we trust and they give answers, they are more close to repeat and to play.
“I’m very happy about the performance that he had, I confess to you, that despite the injury from Grant – and Mosa being in condition, he was in the bench, but he had to take pain killers if we needed him, he would play, which he did in the previous match.
“But he gave his best when he entered, we knew what type of speedy players we had to play against from Chiefs, look at the striker they out on [Du Preez], probably the quickest player in the PSL, to play up front. So we knew what kind of centre-backs we needed for this game.”
“That is management of people, management of human beings, management of players that we need to do and try to do with the best rationality we can in order to produce results.
“And when results are not what the fans want, what we want – we don’t stay happy but we respect our work very much, because we work seriously every day. People should have respect for those who work seriously everyday.”
Khoza will be aiming to retain his place in Cardoso’s line-up when they travel to the Western Cape to face Stellenbosch FC at the Danie Athlone Stadium (15h00).
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