Transfer Trouble? Cardoso points at transfer window when asked on Nuno Santos

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Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Nuno Santos. Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images

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Transfer Trouble? Cardoso points at transfer window when asked on Nuno Santos

Aug 24, 2026 – 12:43 pm
By Siya Ndlela

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso pointed to the realities of the transfer window when quizzed about the recent form of midfielder Nuno Santos.

The Brazilians’ MTN8 title ambitions suffered a major dent as they were defeated 1-0 by visitors Lamontville Golden Arrows at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium on Sunday in the first-leg semi-final of the MTN8.

Smelling defeat, Cardoso brought on Brayan Leon, Siphelele Mkhulise and Nuno Santos in the second half, all tasked with bringing the Brazilians back into the tie. All were ineffective as Pitso Dladla’s side secured a victory ahead of the second leg.

Speaking to journalists after the match, Cardoso was asked about the form of Santos, and the Portuguese mentor identified the currently open transfer window as a form of distraction for his players – although he added that this is in particular to Santos.

Portuguese playmaker Santos has made 2 appearances for Mamelodi Sundowns in the current 2026/27 campaign, featuring in the league opener against TS Galaxy and coming on as a substitute against Golden Arrows.

Since his late 2025 transfer, the 27-year-old midfielder has accumulated 5 goals and 3 assists across all club competitions. His primary impact has come on the continental stage, where he recorded 3 goals and 3 assists in 7 CAF Champions League matches last season.

“Look, sometimes there are those things that we cannot expose completely,” Cardoso said in response to a question about getting the best out of Nuno Santos.

“There are things that happen in the team that the coaches cannot speak freely about; it does not have to do only with Nuno, it has to do with a lot of things.

“You should understand that there is obviously some capacity that we had to have to keep some of the things that happen stable inside of our walls – and I’m not speaking about Nuno; I’m speaking in general.

“The stability comes exactly when the market closes, and everything starts to go from there. You see other teams in South Africa also struggling with these types of situations. It happens everywhere in the world. It’s clear that the market touches people; it touches the connections.

“That stability will also help so we can settle everybody down with a clear understanding of where we are, who we can count on and how much we need to commit every day to be an important part of the process that we want.

“Nuno is an extraordinary player – you know that. Especially how he performed in the [CAF] Champions League; he was absolutely amazing.

“That is the Nuno that we saw. When the players smile, when the players are happy, it will bring flow and energy.

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The Brazilians have seen several high-profile players leave the club in the current window, with winger Thapelo Maseko sealing a €1.5 million move to Danish outfit FC Copenhagen, alongside the departures of veteran midfielder Miguel Reisinho and star striker Peter Shalulile.

To cushion these heavy personnel exits, three notable reinforcements have arrived at Sundowns in the current window, headlined by the high-profile return of centre-forward Cassius Mailula from Toronto FC, alongside winger Siyanda Ndlovu, who completed a switch directly from Golden Arrows, as well as Antonio Van Wyk.