Sundowns determined to keep ‘brilliant’ Allende, says Cardoso

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso says the club will do everything possible to retain Marcelo Allende, describing the midfielder as “brilliant” and a model professional.

Allende, 27, is in the final year of his contract with the Brazilians. He has said his priority is to give his full commitment to Sundowns, where he has been a key player since joining in 2022.

The Chilean has won seven trophies with the club, including three league titles and the CAF Champions League.

Allende also played a significant role in Sundowns’ 1-0 win over Golden Arrows in the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-final in Pretoria on Tuesday. He was introduced as a second-half substitute and helped influence the move that produced the winning goal.

Cardoso praised Allende’s consistency, his ability to dictate play and the professionalism he shows both on and off the pitch.

“I think you used a fantastic word to speak about Marcelo. Brilliant is absolutely a fantastic attribute for him,” said Cardoso.

“There are many players who have stood out, but he has been so consistent and has done it for so many years. As you know, we played against Sundowns and Marcelo was already the maestro. You know what a maestro is in English. So we are going to do our best, I am pretty sure, to keep him with us for a long time.”

The coach said Allende’s work ethic was evident every day, adding that he was among the first players to arrive at training and one of the last to leave.

“It is a pleasure to see him training. It is a pleasure to see him playing. He is one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave. He consistently runs around 12 kilometres per match,” Cardoso said.

“He is also a fantastic human being. He and his family are so lovely, and players like that become part of our environment. They help shape character and attitude. We have many like that.”

Sundowns have been without Teboho Mokoena, but Cardoso believes Bathusi Aubaas has performed well in the midfielder’s absence. He added, however, that Allende’s influence improves those around him.

“Marcelo makes everybody better players, without doubt,” he said. “He can receive balls that do not arrive cleanly, sometimes a bad pass, on the wrong foot or at the wrong time, and under pressure he can clean it up.

“We often use the expression ‘clean the game’. For us, that means not losing the ball immediately after winning it, or taking it into areas where there is more time to play.

“Marcelo is very clever under pressure, and even without pressure he can manage and control the game, set the tempo, and still have time to arrive in the box and score.”

Cardoso added: “He is a beautiful player to watch. I enjoy watching him a lot, but above all we feel privileged to have such a good example of what a professional footballer should be.”