Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso backs Bennet Mokoena as a ‘nine-and-a-half’

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso believes Bennet Mokoena can establish himself in a role behind the striker and develop into one of the club’s most influential players.

Mokoena made his eighth appearance of the season in Sundowns’ Betway Premiership match against Milford FC, starting the game as his opportunities in the first team continue to increase. Sundowns won the match 2-0.

The youngster has scored once this season after making a significant impact in the DStv Diski Challenge last term, when he found the net 22 times. That record has helped earn him an opportunity to show what he can produce at senior level.

Cardoso says the 19-year-old’s development will be accelerated by regular exposure to first-team football, although he still has areas to improve in his understanding of Sundowns’ collective approach.

“Bennet is a player we see with a lot of potential. It’s clear that there are things he needs to work on in understanding the collective game that the team plays, so that he can establish himself at the level we want him to be in the future.

“But that is absolutely normal. If you take Siyanda, for example, he is 22 years old, and he is 19, so we are speaking about a young player who has already been stating himself at an interesting level, but a lot of work to do,” Cardoso told the media after their victory over Milford.

The Sundowns manager believes Mokoena’s best position is not as a conventional number nine, despite his eye for goal. Instead, he sees the player operating between the midfield and attack, where he can link play while still posing a threat in front of goal.

“Obviously, opportunities like today, they promote that growth quicker, and we know that game exposure is also high-level stimulation of behaviour, and that is also a job coaches have to do.

“We trust, we believe. I see him more in the position behind the striker, in between the lines. He is very focused on the goal. We know that he is a player that can score, but if you could watch during the last year, most of the games he was not really a number nine like Brayan Leon. He is a player that connects, that drops…and that is the profile. For us, I see more as a nine-and-a-half, rather than a clear nine.”

Mokoena’s progress comes amid intense competition for attacking places at Sundowns, meaning he will be keen to add to his goal tally and strengthen his claim for a regular starting role.

For Cardoso, however, the player’s value lies in more than simply finishing chances. The coach views Mokoena as someone capable of connecting the team’s play, dropping into space and supporting attacks from a position behind the main striker.

Further first-team opportunities could therefore prove important in helping Mokoena adapt to the demands of senior football and fulfil the potential Sundowns believe he possesses.