Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has given an assessment of Zuko Mdunyelwa’s performance in the absence of Khuliso Mudau and Thapelo Morena against Marumo Gallants.
Masandawana beat Gallants 3-1 in the Betway Premiership on Tuesday night at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. The Tshwane giants went into the half-time break level at 1-1 against Bahlabane Ba Ntwa before Teboho Mokoena came on as a second-half substitute to net a brace that secured maximum points for the home side.
The victory over Gallants marks a flawless start to the year for Sundowns, who have now surged to seven consecutive league wins since the turn of 2026. This relentless run has cemented the Brazilians’ position at the summit of the Betway Premiership, where they sit on 50 points after 21 matches. Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates are occupying the second position on the log with 48 points, with the same number of games.
In the match against Gallants, Downs were sweating over the unavailability of two of their experienced right-backs. Mudau was serving a one-match suspension after receiving his fourth yellow card of the campaign, while Morena is out with an injury.
WHAT CARDOSO SAID ABOUT MDUNYELWA’S SHOWING IN THE ABSENCE OF MUDAU AND MORENA
Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso called upon Zuko Mdunyelwa to occupy the right wing-back position in the absence of his two Bafana Bafana stars. The former Chippa United defender returned to the matchday squad after being missing in action due to an injury sustained in the first half of the 2025/26 season.
Mdunyelwa produced an impressive performance against Gallants, contributing significantly to both defence and attack. His coach showered him with praise, admitting the technical team didn’t think he could last 90 minutes after being sidelined for months.
“We knew it could be tricky to expose him to 90 minutes after the injury he sustained with the national team [in September 2025]. As I’ve mentioned before, it was a muscle injury, and he suffered a setback. With Thapelo Morena currently out, we had to handle Zuko’s return in a way that wasn’t risky,” Cardoso said.
“It was comfortable for us, but most importantly, comfortable for him because it showed our trust. I think he did well. Obviously, when you play systematically, you gain the confidence to perform even after months without official matches. He had played in friendlies where he proved he was at the level required to compete.”
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