Mothiba backed by Cardoso despite missed chance for Sundowns

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has given Lebo Mothiba his full backing after the striker missed a clear opportunity in his first start of the season.

Mothiba was named in the starting line-up for Sundowns’ MTN8 first-leg semi-final against Golden Arrows at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday, with Brayan Leon beginning the match on the bench.

The former Strasbourg striker had a prime chance to put Sundowns ahead in the first half when he found himself one-on-one with Golden Arrows goalkeeper Edward Maova. However, Mothiba was unable to finish from close range, leading some home supporters to call for him to be substituted.

Mothiba has scored only twice since joining Sundowns towards the end of the 2024/25 campaign. One of those goals came at last year’s FIFA World Cup, while the other was scored during the 2025/26 season, in which he made 17 appearances across all competitions.

Cardoso said he and his technical staff had a responsibility to maintain their players’ confidence, particularly when they were struggling to make an impact.

“I try to make the best for all my players,” Cardoso told the media after the match in Atteridgeville.

The Portuguese coach said he had deliberately encouraged Mothiba after the missed opportunity, pointing out that the striker’s failure to score was not an isolated incident in the match.

“You saw how I supported him in a moment that was difficult because he did a situation where it could have happened a goal, but it was not the only one. There were many throughout the match that did not happen goals.”

Cardoso also referred to Lucas Ribeiro’s earlier difficulties in front of goal, when questions were being asked about why the forward was not scoring.

“I said one day it will come and he will score one after the other and it happened. Strikers it’s a little bit like that, but also Lebo has not been the first option as you know.”

The coach explained that Mothiba had been behind Brayan Leon and Iqraam Rayners in the pecking order, making it harder for him to build momentum when opportunities were limited.

“Bryan, together with Iqraam, were the first option, so it’s normal when a player does not play consistently that to come on a match it’s difficult to bring the rhythm. Lebo is showing character,” Cardoso said.

Mothiba’s place in the starting line-up was also influenced by Leon’s lack of preparation and the demanding schedule Sundowns had faced. Cardoso said the forward had performed well in training matches and deserved the opportunity to contribute.

“He made very good training matches and scoring on them, so he gave us all the energy. As you may understand, Brayan came from a pre-season where he didn’t have a chance to train consistently and we played three matches in a row, so it was absolutely normal that we had to rotate. Brayan was too tired and I think he was still too tired in the second half, not as fresh as we would like to have him.”

Despite Cardoso’s public support, Mothiba is unlikely to lead the line when Sundowns face AmaZulu in the Betway Premiership at Loftus Stadium on Wednesday.