Cardoso explains Sundowns’ decision not to sign players for Club World Cup

Miguel Cardoso. Picture courtesy of Mamelodi Sundowns/X

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has explained the club’s decision not to sign players for the FIFA Club World Cup. The Brazilians are currently in the USA, where they beat South Korean outfit Ulsan HD FC 1-0 in their opening Group F match.

The Betway Premiership reigning champions will face German giants Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, 21 June. A few days later, the Tshwane giants will play their last match of the group stages against Fluminense FC. Before the start of the Club World Cup, FIFA opened a special transfer window for teams taking part in the tournament to register players.

WHAT CARDOSO SAID ABOUT SUNDOWNS NOT SIGNING PLAYERS

Mamelodi Sundowns. Picture courtesy of Mamelodi Sundowns/X

Sundowns took a surprise decision not to register any new players, and their coach, Cardoso, says new players were going to need more time for adaptation.

“We didn’t have a lot of time to train. If you think of African teams like Wydad [Casablanca], they were not in the CAF Champions League and had their league decided early,” Cardoso said.

“They even changed the coach, and there was time to build a team, so it’s justifiable that they can restart the process.

“If you think about Al Ahly, it’s the same thing, they have a new coach and they signed new players. For us, we played the Champions League final, and after that, we didn’t have enough time to train and bring in new players who could fit the puzzle.

“That’s what happened, and we decided to keep our squad, it’s a reality that we totally support and think we can fight for the best results in this competition.”