Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has named his candidate for the Footballer of the Season award for the 2024/25 campaign.
Cardoso made the remarks following Sundowns’ 3-0 victory over Chippa United in the Betway Premiership on Wednesday night at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
The Brazilians’ win against Chippa saw them move a step closer to claiming their eighth successive league title. They have accumulated 64 points after winning 21 league matches, drawing one, and losing three times in 25 matches played.
Meanwhile, Masandawana are also on course for continental success after securing a spot in the CAF Champions League final. The Tshwane giants will face Egyptian outfit Pyramids FC in the two-legged final on May 24th, with the return leg on June 1st.
As the season is nearing its conclusion, the debate for the Footballer of the Season has begun, and Cardoso has picked Sundowns star Lucas Ribeiro for the prestigious accolade.
The highly-rated attacker has been key for Sundowns in the current campaign, scoring 16 goals and providing 11 assists in 44 matches across all competitions.
However, in the past few matches, Ribeiro has seen a dip in form after last finding the back of the net on the 5th of March in Sundowns’ 1-1 draw against Golden Arrows.
WHAT CARDOSO SAID ABOUT RIBEIRO AND THE FOOTBALLER OF THE SEASON AWARD
“Look, I think a player like Lucas is the player of the league this season. He has expressed himself not only this year but also in the past years,” Cardoso said.
“Sometimes people look at the player and expect goals after goals, but we don’t relate to the moments he brings to the other players. I think what happened is that at the beginning of the season, he benefited from the space he was given, and in the last games, it has been narrow for him.
“The opponents are marking him very strongly with two or three players around him, so now he plays a little bit more with pressure, he plays a lot with his back to goal, and passes to his teammates.
“I remember in the last matches we were also discussing the way he finds connection passes, the way he makes assists, and the way he creates situations that create penalties.
“We’re going to have even a more complete Lucas in the future. He’s still capable of doing what he was doing before, but now he’s obligated to develop other things in his game, and I think he will be even more complete as a player in the future.
“I’ve been hearing that he will be elected as the Player of the Season because of his stats. His numbers for this season are amazing, and I think he’s a player who brings something different to the pitch.
“So I think now that it’s time to choose a Player of the Season, he’s trying to show himself, but he has shown himself already, and it will come naturally.”
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