Mamelodi Sundowns: Cardoso reveals his pick for Betway Premiership Footballer of the Season
- Martin T
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
Riding high after Mamelodi Sundowns' emphatic 3-0 victory over Chippa United, a win that brings their eighth consecutive Betway Premiership title within touching distance, Miguel Cardoso has already turned his attention to individual honours.
As the season nears its end, Sundowns head coach Cardoso has declared his candidate for the Footballer of the Season award: his in-form player Lucas Ribeiro.
His remarks came shortly after the Loftus Versfeld Stadium triumph over Chippa, where the Brazilians further solidified their impressive league campaign, boasting 64 points from 25 matches (21 wins, one draw, three losses).
Adding to their success, Sundowns are also on the cusp of continental glory, having secured a spot in the CAF Champions League final against Egyptian side Pyramids FC.
The influential attacker, Ribeiro, has been a vital cog in Sundowns' machine this season, scoring 16 goals and providing 11 assists across 44 appearances in all competitions. However, his prolific form has tapered off recently, with his last goal coming on March 5th in a 1-1 draw against Golden Arrows.
In Cardoso's view, Ribeiro deserves the Footballer of the Season award, pointing out that his influence extends beyond just scoring goals to the impact he has on his team-mates.
“Look, I think a player like Lucas is the Player of the League this season. He has expressed himself not only this year but also in the past years,” said Cardoso.
“Sometimes people look at the player and expect goals after goals, but we don’t relate to the moments he brings to the other players. I think what happened is that at the beginning of the season, he benefited from the space he was given, and in the last games, it has been narrow for him. The opponents are marking him very strongly with two or three players around him, so now he plays a little bit more with pressure, plays a lot with his back to goal, and passes to his team-mates."
Cardoso added: "I’ve been hearing that he will be elected as the Player of the Season because of his stats, the numbers he has for this season are amazing, and I think he’s a player who brings something different on the pitch.
“So I think now that it’s time to choose a Player of the Season. He’s trying to show himself, but he has shown himself already, and it will come naturally.”
