Cardoso says Maseko’s Sundowns future rests on player’s choice

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has revealed details of a private conversation with Thapelo Maseko as the winger’s proposed departure from the South African champions gathers pace.

Cardoso said there was no personal disagreement between the pair and that he had held an open, constructive discussion with the 22-year-old to establish whether he still wanted to remain part of the club’s plans.

The Portuguese coach was speaking after Sundowns, also known as Masandawana, edged Polokwane City 3-2 in an MTN8 quarter-final. His comments came amid growing uncertainty over Maseko’s future at Chloorkop and reports that he could be close to joining Danish club FC Copenhagen.

Club-to-club negotiations with the Danish giants are understood to be under way.

Maseko has recently appeared frustrated by his lack of regular first-team football at Sundowns. The winger expressed his unhappiness on social media, having found it difficult to secure a consistent starting place since joining from cross-town rivals SuperSport United in July 2023.

Sundowns paid a reported fee of about R20m for the player, but Maseko has made only 45 appearances in all competitions for the reigning South African champions.

He appeared to revive his career during a successful six-month loan spell with Cypriot top-flight side AEL Limassol in the second half of the 2025/26 campaign. Those performances helped earn him a place in the Bafana Bafana squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he produced an impressive and high-profile display.

Maseko’s form at international level was expected by some to improve his position at Sundowns. Instead, he has returned to individual training and has not played for the club since coming back from the World Cup.

Cardoso said he would welcome the possibility of reintegrating the player but would not insist that Maseko remain if he no longer wanted to be part of the team.

“I am not deeply inside the conversations that happen, so I cannot give more explanations rather than say Thapelo is a wonderful boy and we like him very much. Obviously he would have that spell in Cyprus, and he did very well. He got emotionally in a very good place, then he went to the World Cup and got a chance to play and even to score. Look, me and him exchanged messages throughout the competition, and I think even helped him to understand how he had to put energy on what he was doing and now it’s up to the club, depending the rights of the club of course and trying to see what is best.”

The coach’s comments suggest Sundowns’ decision will be guided both by the club’s interests and by Maseko’s own wishes. The attacker is now reportedly on the verge of securing a permanent move away from the African champions, with Denmark heavily linked as his next destination.