Cardoso urges patience over Sundowns prospect Siyanda Ndlovu

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has asked supporters and the media to give Siyanda Ndlovu time to develop, warning that the 20-year-old winger should not be burdened by expectations similar to those previously placed on Siyabonga Mabena.

Ndlovu joined Sundowns from Golden Arrows during the off-season and has quickly excited the club’s supporters with his direct running, creativity and ability to beat opponents one-on-one.

Cardoso, however, believes the club must manage the youngster’s progress carefully if his obvious potential is to become consistent performance.

“Our job as coaches is how easily we can create conditions for players to be consistent, Siyanda is a player who has played many PSL matches, last year we had a lot of excitement around Mabena and aligned him over some matches, but there was a lack of consistency from him,” Cardoso said.

“Then he now needs to go to another route, and he will be promoted in the future for sure, but we have to make another step, so the level of readiness – of a player obviously speaks a lot about how many chances he will continue to have.”

The Portuguese coach said Ndlovu’s arrival had strengthened Sundowns’ attacking options, but the player’s adaptation to his new club had been slowed by an injury suffered shortly after joining.

“I think it was very important that Sundowns could get Siyanda for the group, he’s a player that we have a lot of expectations, I was quite clear in the moments I spoke about him over his pre-season, he got injured after the first week,” he explained.

Ndlovu was unable to train until the week of Sundowns’ first match, against Kaizer Chiefs, meaning his fitness and understanding of Cardoso’s system are still developing.

“He didn’t train until the week of the first match he played, which was Chiefs, so his match readiness is still developing, his understanding of the team is still developing, offensively, he has that magic everyone sees.

“But for example he has inconsistencies in defending and many things to develop, but we’re excited as everyone is for him, we want to get that energy and profit from it as a much as possible but we know that develop a player for long-term for both Sundowns and the country, we need to work a lot on him and he’s willing to do it because he’s very excited to be with us.”

Cardoso also pointed to the tactical options Ndlovu can provide, particularly when Sundowns face opponents defending in a deep, narrow block.

“We’re happy but we also have a lot of competition in those positions but he’s a player that has creativity to help the coaches deal with the deep block, teams that are narrow, tight and closing spaces,” Cardoso said.

“And when teams get tired or even to create tiredness, these players are very important, you can’t lose a centimetre on him because in short spaces he is very unpredictable.

“So happy from my side but as a young player he is – we also need to create the proper emotional and psychological environment.”

That environment, Cardoso said, should involve patience from both supporters and the media. He recalled how the excitement around Mabena affected the way fans responded when he received the ball.

“So, it’s important the media and fans understand how to relate with these players, I remember everyone Mabena had the ball, everyone was shouting for him to dribble and most of the moments he should have passed the ball,” he said.

“So the way we relate with players, they need to understand the collective environment where he plays.”

Cardoso stressed that Ndlovu’s individual qualities must be developed within Sundowns’ overall team structure rather than treated as a solution on their own.

“It’s the team that will create spaces and moments for him to use the 1v1, the dribbling in space, the movements he makes and if he does it well, he can be an important player, inside a strong team,” he added.

“Which is what we will do together in the right time, with the right opportunities, so he grows, not for a small spell but for the future.”

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