Mamelodi Sundowns vs Orlando Pirates Transfer Battle: Miguel Cardoso Responds to Bafana Star Reports
- Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso dodged questions about reports linking Polokwane City defender Thabang Matuludi to the club
- Sources reportedly confirmed that a deal between Sundowns and Polokwane City had already been struck for the Bafana Bafana right-back
- The Portuguese tactician pointed to the recent signing of Deano van Rooyen to explain how the club handles official announcements
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Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has deflected questions about reports linking Bafana Bafana defender Thabang Matuludi to the reigning Betway Premiership champions. The Portuguese coach appeared caught off guard when journalists suggested an official announcement could be imminent.
Reports from iDiski Times had claimed that a deal between Sundowns and Polokwane City was already done, with sources confirming the transfer. Matuludi has been with Polokwane City since 2021 and has grown into one of the most reliable right-backs in South African football, earning him national team recognition along the way.
Cardoso Plays It Close to His Chest
When pressed on the reports during a media engagement, Cardoso was careful not to confirm or deny the speculation.
"You know more than me; you are going to make me question things I don't have answers for. You telling me in the next days a player will be announced, I can't answer that," the coach said.
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He went further, appearing genuinely bemused by how certain the journalists seemed about the deal.
"You are more sure of that than myself. I don't know who is speaking to you; you must tell me. But really, I don't have that information, so I can't speak about something I don't control."
Deano van Rooyen Sets the Template
Cardoso used the recent arrival of Deano van Rooyen to illustrate how Sundowns handles its transfer business, making clear that coaches do not speak on deals before the club makes them official.
"I can speak about Deano – he's arrived, he is here. Any player who is officially announced, we can discuss all the things before, whatever happens, we don't know," Cardoso explained.
He also stressed that there is a process the club follows, and he has no intention of stepping outside it.
"I don't want to go over the natural process that happens in our club, there's a guideline we follow on every process. Coaches don't go over official announcements. Will it happen? Let's see."
Whether Matuludi will pull on the famous yellow and blue jersey remains to be seen, but the club's silence has done little to dampen the speculation surrounding one of South African football's most in-demand defenders.
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Source: Briefly News
