Miguel Cardoso addresses Nuno Santos dip in form

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has addressed the form slump of attacking midfielder Nuno Santos, who is enduring a slow start to the 2026/27 campaign.

The 27-year-old playmaker has made two appearances across all competitions thus far, and is yet to make a goal contribution, having come off the bench in the two matches he featured in.

He enjoyed a stellar debut season at Sundowns, chipping in with five goals and 10 assists in 36 matches, helping the Brazilians clinch the coveted CAF Champions League title in the process.

With a section of the Masandawana faithful concerned about Santos' displays of late, Cardoso attributed the player's dip in form to the distraction of the ongoing transfer window.

“Sometimes there are things that happen inside the teams that the coaches cannot speak freely about them. It doesn't only have to do with Nuno, it has to do with a lot of things," said the Downs mentor.

"You should understand that there's obviously some capacity that we have to have to keep some of the things that happen stable inside of our walls. I'm not speaking about Nuno, I'm speaking about in general.

"The stability comes exactly from the moment the market closes and everything starts to go from there, and as you see the teams in South Africa in the moment are struggling a little bit with this situation. It happens everywhere in the world. It's clear the market touches people, it touches the connections.

"And that stability will also help to settle down everybody so that we can move forward with clear understanding about where we are and who we can count on and how much we need to be committed with what we do everyday in order to be an important part of the process that we want.

The Portuguese tactician went on to describe his compatriot as an extraordinary player, highlighting his impact for Sundowns last season, particularly in Africa's premier club competition.

“Nuno is an extraordinary player, you know that, how he performed in the Champions League, especially throughout the group stages. He was absolutely amazing, he gave us a lot of things,” Cardoso added.

"And that is the Nuno that we saw, and when the players smile, when the players are happy, it will bring a flow in the energy that goes aligned with the thoughts that we have and that's what's needed to be found in everybody so that the connections happen well.

The reigning African champions, meanwhile, return to action with a Betway Premiership clash against AmaZulu FC at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday, 29 August.

Hlayisani Magoro

Editorfr, en

Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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