CT City coach highlights qualities making Cupido a great fit for Sundowns
Cape Town City FC assistant coach Diogo Peral has shed light on the qualities that make Keanu Cupido a perfect signing for Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Tshwane giants pulled off another massive transfer move after signing the highly-rated defender Cupido from CT City in the 2025 January transfer window.
Cupido is joining Sundowns to beef up their centre-back position as The Brazilians are faced with a tight schedule of fixtures in the coming few months.
Masandawana are competing for the prestigious FIFA Club World Cup, CAF Champions League, Nedbank Cup and the Betway Premiership title.
In the centre-back position, Sundowns currently have Malibongwe Khoza, Grant Kekana, Mothobi Mvala and Mosa Lebusa fighting for a spot in the starting line-up.
Cupido signed for Downs alongside Jayden Adams, Lucas Suárez, and Matias Esquivel, who returned from his loan spell at Club Atlético Talleres in Argentina.
WHAT DID DIOGO PERAL SAY ABOUT CUPIDO’S MOVE TO MAMELODI SUNDOWNS?
Following Cupido’s switch to Chloorkop, his former coach, Diogo Peral, says Sundowns is getting a defender who’s comfortable playing from the back and is also quick.
“Keanu is a very good centre-back, especially for teams that want to play on the front foot like Sundowns. They did their homework, and you’ll see his strength in teams like that,” Peral said on the Soccer Beat Podcast.
“You’ll see his strength in a team that plays out from the back and wants position. I don’t think you can find too many defenders in the PSL that can play out from the back like Keanu does.
“He’s got great range of passes, he can break lines, he can go long and he can also carry the ball into midfield, he’s very good at that.
“Defensively, he’s quick which makes him comfortable with playing the highline, if you play the highline, he’s quick enough to cover the space behind if he has to.
“So for a team that plays positional football, he’s a perfect player. He’s also very good with stepping out of the backline, so if you want to press high and want him to press and intercept, he has become very good at that. We’re going to miss him because he’s also a good human being. He’s a player that doesn’t give you problems on and off the field.
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