Cardoso addresses Basadien’s Sundowns struggle

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has provided insight into the challenging adjustment period facing defender Fawaaz Basadien at Chloorkop, attributing his limited game time to the intense competition for places.

Basadien was one of the most sought-after signatures of the last transfer window, with Sundowns ultimately winning the race for the talented player, who had also drawn interest from Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. He joined the reigning Betway Premiership champions alongside Tsiki Ntsabeleng and Portuguese imports Nuno Santos and Miguel Reisinho.

Despite the high expectations surrounding his move from Stellenbosch FC, Basadien has found it difficult to nail down a starting spot. He has been consistently overlooked in favour of the in-form veteran Aubrey Modiba at the left-back position.

This lack of minutes has had ripple effects, most notably costing Basadien his place in Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana setup, putting his participation in the upcoming AFCON tournament in Morocco in jeopardy.

Competition Causes ‘Difficult’ Situation For Basadien and Co. at Sundowns

Speaking after Masandawana’s commanding 7-1 aggregate victory over Remo Stars, which secured their spot in the CAF Champions League group stages, Cardoso detailed the integration process for his small crop of new signings.

“We brought in four new players, and I think this was the smallest market in the past five years for Mamelodi Sundowns,” Cardoso noted. “It doesn’t mean that it was not good; they simply had different processes of integration.”

The coach was frank about Basadien’s plight: “With Fawaaz, I want you to understand the word I’m going to use: he’s struggling with his competition.”

Cardoso stressed that this is a club-wide issue for players vying for starting berths. “He’s not the only one who’s struggling; all of them are struggling because there’s a lot of competition in that position. Asekho Tiwani is struggling. Thato Sibiya and Divine Lunga are also struggling.”

Ultimately, the deciding factor remains the exceptional performances of the current incumbent. “Aubrey is at a good level at the moment. Let’s hope that he can continue, but you never know. So Fawaaz’s situation is more difficult because of the level of competition in his position,” the coach concluded.

Since arriving from Moroka Swallows, the defender has managed just six appearances across all competitions, underscoring the battle he faces to become a regular fixture in the star-studded Sundowns lineup.