Nuno Santos inspires Mamelodi Sundowns as Cardoso says ‘we’re not magicians’

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso praised Nuno Santos after the midfielder’s two headed goals secured a 2-1 victory over Al Ahli Saudi in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup.

Santos scored once in each half on his first start of the season, helping The Brazilians claim their first silverware of the campaign and reach the third round of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Sundowns will now play in the Challenger Cup, with the winners facing UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

Santos’ selection had been unexpected after he made only a handful of substitute appearances while continuing his recovery from an injury he brought into the new season. However, Cardoso said the player’s attitude and renewed confidence convinced him to take the risk.

“Sometimes we play cards, we expect them to go well, (sometimes) they go wrong. We’re not magicians but sometimes we can make magic and the players can do magic,” Cardoso told reporters at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

The Portuguese coach said Santos had reconnected with his team-mates after what he described as a difficult personal period, although he did not want to discuss the details.

“I think what happened today was that they embraced each other, Nuno had his moment, it was not an easy moment, it is not important to speak about it,” Cardoso said.

“What is important is that he has a smile on his face and because he found that smile, I felt confident to put him to play.”

Cardoso added that Santos’ return was not simply about giving him minutes on the pitch. The coach said the midfielder had already shown a willingness to contribute before being named in the starting line-up.

“I didn’t give him an opportunity to play to have a smile, he smiled, he embraced the team, he embraced the teammates, we had many talks and he said, ‘Coach, I will give the team what the team needs from me and I’m going to prove that I’m with you all the way,’” the 54-year-old said.

Cardoso was also pleased with the collective response from Sundowns, highlighting the different ways his players influenced the match.

“I think there were fantastic performances on the pitch individually, some of them more expressed in terms of technical capacity, others more with the commitment they had towards the team,” he said.

The coach acknowledged that his side experienced uncertainty during the first half, but revealed the message he delivered at the interval.

“There was a moment of doubt during the first half, and I said to them at half-time, ‘Guys, please I want to come here at the end of the match, whatever result we get, I wanna look in your eyes and feel peace,’” Cardoso said.