Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has identified the key areas Siyanda Ndlovu needs to improve as the highly rated youngster continues his adaptation to life at the reigning champions.
Ndlovu joined Sundowns from Golden Arrows after the Brazilians won the race for his signature ahead of Orlando Pirates, following a breakout campaign that placed him firmly among the most exciting young attacking players in the Premier Soccer League.
The 22-year-old enjoyed an impressive 2025/26 season with Arrows, scoring four goals and providing eight assists in 31 appearances. His creativity was among the standout features of his game, with Ndlovu ranking alongside Orlando Pirates’ Relebohile Mofokeng and Oswin Appollis among the league’s most dangerous chance creators.
Cardoso, however, believes there is more to come from the attacking sensation and has outlined a measured approach to developing his game.
“So our job as coaches is obviously to create conditions for the players to be consistent. Siyanda is a player that has already played many PSL matches. I think it was very important that, obviously, Sundowns could get Siyanda for the group. He’s a player that we have a lot of expectations.”
The Portuguese coach explained that Ndlovu’s readiness remains a work in progress after his pre-season was disrupted by injury, limiting the amount of time he had to train with his new teammates before making his Sundowns debut.
“He got injured, I can repeat, after one weekend, a few days more of training sessions, and he didn’t train until one week before the first match that he played. That was in Chiefs. So his match readiness is still developing, his understanding of the team is still developing.”
While Ndlovu’s attacking qualities have already caught the eye, Cardoso believes his defensive contribution is one of the areas that requires significant attention.
“Of course, offensively, he’s that magic that everybody sees, but for example defensively, he has a lot of inconsistencies and a lot of things to develop.”
Cardoso nevertheless remains excited by what Ndlovu can bring to Sundowns, particularly against opponents who defend deep and attempt to restrict space.
“But we are also excited, as everybody, on him. We want to get that energy and take profit from it as much as possible. But we know that to develop a player for long term, for both Sundowns and the country, we need to work a lot on him, and he is willing to do it because he’s very excited to be with us.
“Obviously we have also a lot of competition in those positions, but he’s a player that has creativity that can sometimes help the coaches to unlock the teams that are narrow, tight, closing spaces, and in the moment the teams get tired, or to create tiredness on the teams, those players are very important because you cannot obviously lose one centimetre on him because in short spaces he’s very unpredictable.”
The Sundowns coach also stressed the importance of creating the right environment around Ndlovu as he adjusts to the increased expectations that come with playing for one of the country’s biggest clubs.
Cardoso believes the media and supporters also have a role to play in ensuring the youngster is allowed to develop naturally rather than being placed under unnecessary pressure.
“Happy from our side, but as a young player that he is, we also need to create a proper emotional and psychological environment, and it’s important that you, the media, and also the fans understand how to relate with these players.”
Cardoso used the example of Siyabonga Mabena to explain how external expectations can sometimes influence a young player’s decision-making.
“I remember that on those first matches from last season, every time Mabena had the ball, everybody was shouting for him to dribble, and most of those moments he should have passed the ball. So the way we also relate with a player has to make him understand the collective environment where he plays, because it’s the team that will create spaces and moments for him to use the one against one, the dribbling, the speed of the space, the movements he makes on the space.”
For Cardoso, the objective is not simply to produce a player capable of making an immediate impact, but to develop Ndlovu into a consistent and important contributor for Sundowns and potentially South Africa in the long term.
“And if he does it so, he can be an important player inside a strong team. I think that is what we’re gonna do together with the right tempo, the right opportunities, so that the boy grows not for a small spell, but for the future.”
Written by: Sandile Ndumo
