Cardoso on Mudau’s return: ‘He brings new energy to Sundowns’

Mamelodi Sundowns’ head coach Miguel Cardoso has expressed his delight at the return of star defender Khuliso Mudau, who made his first appearance of the 2025-26 season in the team’s 1-1 draw against Marumo Gallants in the Betway Premiership on Wednesday.

Mudau, who had been in a self-imposed exile due to a contractual dispute, came on for a 20-minute cameo, replacing Thapelo Morena. His return to the squad comes after the dispute was reportedly close to being resolved, allowing him to resume training at the end of last month.

During his absence, Zuko Mdunyelwa had filled in prominently, while Morena was also recovering from an injury. Mudau’s return is a significant boost for Sundowns, as he is widely regarded as one of the best players in his position on the continent and is expected to reclaim his spot as first-choice for both club and country once he regains full match fitness.

Cardoso addressed Mudau’s return, stating, “Khuliso joined the team two weeks ago, hasn’t had a long time in training but has been training very well. We know what game time we can give Khuliso, we know what we have to do in terms of managing him.”

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS COACH DELIGHTED WITH KHULISO MUDAU’S COMEBACK

The coach also acknowledged the tactical importance of having Mudau back, especially with Zuko Mdunyelwa injured. “Obviously having him on the bench in the moment that Zuko is injured is important, to manage Thapelo, that has been playing almost all our recent matches,” Cardoso added.

Cardoso further explained that Mudau’s introduction was intended to provide a much-needed boost on the right flank. “The expectations are that he brings new energy on the right. We knew that we could bring extra energy on the flanks, which is why we brought Aubrey on, trying to create overloads, a lot of players arriving in the box, to get service for a moment to score.”

Unfortunately for Sundowns, they were unable to secure the win, a result Cardoso attributed to their inability to convert chances. “Unfortunately, we found the moments but didn’t score, and the result penalizes us because of that.”