Miguel Cardoso reveals why Lucas Suarez won't stay at Sundowns

Photo credit: Mamelodi Sundowns

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has shed light on the club's decision not to activate the contract option for Argentinian defender Lucas Suarez.

Suarez joined Sundowns on a loan spell from Club Atlético Lanús last January, during the 2024/25 season. He was brought in to bolster the left side of the defence, stepping in for Abdelmounaim Boutouil, who had moved to Wydad Athletic Club.

However, the 30-year-old struggled to find his footing, committing several crucial individual errors that proved to be costly, leading to goals. His poor form eventually saw him dropped from the squad and fall out of favour with Cardoso.

Notably, he was singled out for his performance in matches against Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.

Suarez was not part of the Tshwane giants squad that travelled to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and Cardoso has since clarified the club's decision to part ways with the left-footed defender.

"Lucas is not with us. It's not taboo, it's normal information I can provide, so until the moment we didn't move forward on his option," said the Portuguese coach.

"He's a player who had his moments with us, who we supported, but unfortunately, in the end, things did not work out the way we wanted. But it doesn't mean he's not a quality player. He's a quality player, and it doesn't mean there was a mistake in his scouting."

Cardoso emphasised the unique evaluation process for foreign players, which extends beyond their positional role. This suggests that Sundowns might utilise the foreign player slot previously occupied by Suarez to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season.

"There was not a mistake but the question is the competition at centre-back is very tough at Mamelodi Sundowns, and the line is so thin between being important and not being important, and as a foreigner, that's an extra value and we had to evaluate him as a foreigner and not as a centre-back," Cardoso added. "When you think of the composition of the squad for the future, eventually that's where we stand on our position."

During his six-month loan spell with Sundowns, Suarez made 14 appearances across all competitions, scoring one goal.