Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso says it’s clear the club needs attacking reinforcements ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday.
Sundowns have signed only two players in the current window, left-back Fawaaz Basadien from Stellenbosch and midfielder Tsiki Ntsabeleng on loan from Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit FC Dallas.
And there’s been 14 exits, with Thembinkosi Lorch, Sipho Mbule, Lebo Maboe, Sifiso Ngobeni, Thabang Sibanyoni, Neo Maema, Etiosa Ighodaro, Rushine de Reuck, Terrence Mashego, Matias Esquivel, Kobamelo Kodisang, Lucas Suarez, Rivaldo Coetzee and the high-profile issue of Lucas Ribeiro Costa.
While Esquivel and Kodisang were loaned, they are not expected to have a future at the club – and Sundowns have been actively persuing new signings, with Khulumani Ndamane from TS Galaxy but expected to remain at TS Galaxy on loan, while they have also been linked with a Brazilian forward Matheusinho.
“I expect so, it’s clear the team needs extra energy in the front, extra quality, we lost important resources from last year, it’s only one name, but his name has a lot of impact on the team, and it’s clear that we’re still trying to find the right connections, to develop collectively, the capacity to arrive there.
“We have a lot of belief in our players, but some of them are very young and cannot cope with the responsibilities to carry a team like Mamelodi Sundowns that needs to win every match… obviously it’s important we can get results. If we had scored a goal today and keep moving forward, it gives opportunities to the young players to develop.
“Or to the new players… but we’re dependent now on the [options] we have and trying to be creative because we trust the players and believe we have all the conditions to continue to win… but we need to know that the teams in the PSL have reinforced a lot and the competition is very hard.
“If we can find the right players, of course we will move [for them], to become stronger, there’s Champions League approaching and in the group stages, the level rises and we need to be up to the level of course.”
Sundowns are currently second in the league with 15 points in seven games, one point behind league leaders Sekhukhune United, who have one game in hand.
Did you know that the iDiski Times Digital Newspaper is completely free! Download it now by clicking the button below or fill in the form to have it sent to you every week.
