Sundowns coach Cardoso makes frank admission on Arthur Sales
- Martin T
- 22 hours ago
- 1 min read
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has frankly spoken about his attacker, Arthur Sales, making an honest admission in light of the player's recent fine form.
Brazilian attacker Sales joined Sundowns at the start of the season from Belgian Challenger Pro League club Lommel SK.
Despite facing considerable criticism early in his South African top-flight football stint due to initial struggles, Sales has since shown remarkable improvement under the guidance of Miguel Cardoso, who took over midseason from Manqoba Mngqithi.
His turnaround is evident in his impressive tally of nine goals and ten assists in 36 appearances across all competitions. Notably, Sales scored a brace in Wednesday's decisive 3-0 victory over Chippa United at Buffalo City Stadium, a result that secured Sundowns' historic eighth consecutive league title.
Cardoso admitted that there were periods when he was not satisfied with Sales, specifically pointing to his displeasure with the player's training efforts.
“When I arrived, he was coming from an injury and another thing, playing in South Africa and in [Belgium] is not the same,” said Cardoso on SNAWA. “There are a lot of things that the players need to adapt to. And also, the way he is, we also need to understand him.
“Believe me, in the beginning, I said, ‘This guy, I don’t like him, I don’t like the way he trains’. But I kept loving him, I had to believe in him, I have to believe in my players. When I say, ‘I don’t like you’, it’s a temporary thing. I mean, I don’t like what you’re doing at the moment.”
