Miguel Cardoso Singles Out Mamelodi Sundowns Star for Praise After Performance Against Al Ahli

• Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso restored Nuno Santos to the starting line-up after he had been left out of the squad amid reports of unrest over his future
• The Portuguese midfielder responded with a decisive performance against Al Ahli Jeddah on Saturday, earning the Man of the Match award in the process
• The Premier Soccer League giants coach revealed what happened behind the scenes that convinced him to allow Santos to play

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has praised Portuguese midfielder Nuno Santos after he delivered a match-winning performance in his return to the starting line-up, scoring twice to secure a 2-1 victory over Al Ahli Jeddah and clinch the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup 2026 on Saturday.

Santos had been absent from the Sundowns squad in the lead-up to the final, with reports indicating the midfielder had been unsettled amid uncertainty surrounding his future at the club. His return to the XI could not have come at a better moment, as his brace proved decisive and earned him the Man of the Match award.

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Cardoso on Santos' change in mindset

Speaking after the match, Cardoso described the result as one of those moments where faith in a player pays off. "Sometimes we play cards, we expect them to go well, and they go wrong; other times we play cards, we have expectations to go well, and they go well. I always say we are not magicians, but sometimes we can make magic, and the players can do magic," he said.

The coach credited a series of private conversations with Santos as the turning point, saying the player's renewed attitude gave him the confidence to restore him to the starting eleven. "I think what happened today was that they embraced each other; Nuno had his moment; it was not an easy moment, and it's not important to speak about it today. What is important is that he has a smile on his face today," Cardoso added.

"And because he found that smile, I felt confident to put him to play, so I did allow him to play, to have a smile, he smiled, he embraced the team, he embraced the teammates."

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Santos' commitment to the team

Cardoso also disclosed that Santos had made a personal pledge during those discussions, choosing to subordinate his individual situation to the collective good. "We had many talks and he said, 'coach I will give the team what the team needs from me and it's there I will prove that I am with guys all the way,'" the coach revealed.

The result adds another piece of international silverware to Sundowns' growing trophy cabinet and marks a remarkable personal turnaround for Santos, who answered his critics in the most emphatic way possible on the continental stage.

Source: Briefly News