Miguel Cardoso thrilled as eight Mamelodi Sundowns players make Bafana Bafana provisional squad

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso expressed delight after seeing eight of his players named in the Bafana Bafana provisional squad ahead of South Africa’s friendly against Panama later this month, part of preparations for the World Cup.

The Sundowns players called up include Thapelo Morena, Themba Zwane, Teboho Mokoena, Aubrey Modiba, Ronwen Williams, Khulumani Ndamane, Jayden Adams, and Iqraam Rayners. Speaking to SABC Sport journalist Velile Mnyandu following Sundowns’ 2-0 victory over Orbit College in Rustenburg, Cardoso said he was proud to see his players recognized at the national level.

“Yeah, obviously Rayners’ form makes me happy but at the same time it makes me worried because we have a player like Peter Shalulile, who in the past was so important and now not in the group, then we had Lebo Mothiba who did well when he entered and helped,” Cardoso explained.

“It’s this team of Sundowns that has quality, and in some positions we have many players. When they perform, they appear, but they live different moments throughout a season. I’m happy to see he’s doing well, happy to see him back in the national team, and hope he’s in the final squad.”

Cardoso also highlighted his pleasure at seeing Thapelo Morena return, as well as Maseko, who has been performing well in Cyprus. Jayden Adams’ recall was another positive, showing that Sundowns players must consistently perform to earn national recognition.

“I’m happy to see that the boys understand: if they want to fight for big achievements, they have to perform and produce results. Otherwise, there’s no space in the national team. Let’s see what happens in the next months,” he added.

With the Sundowns contingent dominating the provisional squad, Cardoso’s remarks underline both the depth of talent at the club and the healthy competition among players vying for a spot in Bafana Bafana’s final World Cup squad. Fans will now watch closely as the squad is trimmed and the final team for the Panama friendly is announced.