Sundowns boss Cardoso calls for patience as Mothiba struggles to find form

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso believes Lebo Mothiba can rediscover his scoring touch with a sustained run in the team, but admits his side’s forwards are yet to hit top form at the start of the 2026-27 season.

Mothiba, 30, was handed a rare start in Sunday’s 1-0 MTN8 semi-final first-leg defeat by Lamontville Golden Arrows at Lucas Moripe Stadium, but missed several opportunities. His clearest chance came in the 11th minute, when Arrows goalkeeper Edward Maova blocked a close-range effort with his leg.

The result means Sundowns must overturn the deficit in the second leg in Durban on Sunday if they are to reach the final. Arrows, coached by Pitso Dladla, have not conceded in their five league and cup matches this season.

Although the tie remains open and Sundowns possess the attacking quality to recover, the home defeat added to concerns over a team that conceded five goals across its opening three league and cup matches.

Sundowns have traditionally taken time to build momentum before becoming increasingly difficult to stop. That pattern was evident during their record run of eight consecutive Betway Premiership titles between 2018 and 2025.

However, their inconsistent and injury-hit start comes after Orlando Pirates ended that remarkable league sequence in 2025-26. Sundowns did respond by winning a second CAF Champions League title, but the latest setback has prompted renewed speculation about another difficult period for Cardoso, who has faced a challenging relationship with supporters since taking charge in December 2024.

Mothiba joined Sundowns in March last year after showing promise as a young striker in Ligue 1 during the late 2010s. Injuries have limited his progress, though, and he has scored only two goals in 33 appearances for the club.

Cardoso said regular football could help the former Bafana Bafana centre-forward regain confidence.

“As the coach I am trying to produce my best for all the players,” he said. “And you saw how I supported in a moment that was difficult because he missed in a situation where it could have become a goal. But it was not the only one [missed opportunity] there were many others throughout the match.

“Last year, or two years ago, I remember a period where [Downs’ former prolific Brazilian player] Lucas Ribeiro was not scoring goals and you [the media] were always speaking about that: how he could not score and why. And I said, one day he will come out [of the poor run] and there will be one goal after the other, and that happened. With strikers it’s a bit like that.

“Anyway, Lebo has not been the first option, as you know. Brayan and Iqraam were. So it’s normal when a player doesn’t play so consistently that it becomes more difficult to establish a rhythm in matches. Lebo is showing character. He played good training matches, scoring in them where he gave us full energy.”

Cassius Mailula has offered encouragement by scoring three goals in five games since returning to Sundowns following spells in Canada, Morocco and Belgium.

Colombian forward Brayan Leon was an important contributor to the club’s Champions League success after joining in January, but his pre-season was disrupted by injury. He has yet to reach his best level this term.

Iqraam Rayners, who scored regularly last season, had a disrupted club pre-season after spending two weeks away with Bafana Bafana at the 2026 World Cup. He has made two appearances in 2026-27, one as a substitute and one in which he was replaced.

Cardoso said Rayners missed the Arrows match because of illness rather than a footballing decision.

“If Iqraam was not on the medical report it was because the doctor forgot because yesterday [on Saturday] he arrived at the training session with the flu and he could not play,” he said.

Katlego “Tsiki” Ntsabeleng, another Sundowns attacking option, has recovered sufficiently to be considered, although Cardoso chose not to include him.

“Tsiki is in the process of being 100% ready to play, so he could have been included. He was not [included] by a technical choice, but he is ready to be put into play when we decide so.”

Sundowns’ attacking difficulties have been compounded by a series of significant injuries. Bafana Bafana players Teboho Mokoena and Khuliso Mudau, Brazilian striker Arthur Sales and centre-back Keanu Cupido were all affected either late last season, during pre-season or at the beginning of the current campaign.

Portuguese midfielder Nuno Santos, 27, has also struggled to reproduce the form that made him influential in last season’s Champions League campaign. He has played twice this season and performed below expectations, particularly with Mokoena unavailable.

Cardoso suggested that factors away from the pitch could be affecting Santos and the wider squad, without providing details.

“Sometimes there are … things that happen inside the team that coaches cannot speak freely about.

“It’s not only to do with Nuno, it has to do with a lot of things. You should understand there’s obviously some capacity we have to have to keep some of the things stable within our walls. And I’m not speaking about Nuno, I’m speaking in general.

“The stability comes exactly from the moment the [transfer] market closes and everything starts to go from there. And you see how the teams in South Africa are also struggling a bit with these kinds of situations. It happens everywhere in the world.

“Because it’s clear the market touches the connections. And that stability [of the transfer window closing] will also help settle everybody so we can move forward with clear understanding of where we are, who we can count on, and how much we need to be committed to be part of the process we want.

“Nuno is an extraordinary player. You saw how he performed in the Champions League, especially throughout the group stage. That is the Nuno we know.

“And when the players smile and are happy it will bring a flow with the energy that aligns with the targets we have. That’s what we need to find in everybody so the connections happen really well.

“But this week you saw images on social media from our locker room. You saw the players dancing and laughing together. I told the players that’s the energy we need to sustain so we fight like brothers.”