Cardoso Opens Up On New Sundowns Signing

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has given some insight into the signing of Deano van Rooyen, explaining why it was necessary to bring the former Orlando Pirates right back into the team.

Van Rooyen parted ways with the Buccaneers a few weeks ago and an opportunity to sign with Sundowns arose when the Tshwane giants lost Bafana Bafana right back Khuliso Mudau to a long-term Achilles injury. 

Cardoso's confidence in Van Rooyen

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Despite his lack of game time at Pirates, Cardoso said Van Rooyen will be ready "pretty quickly", which means Sundowns supporters may not wait too long to see him on the pitch in the team's colours.

Van Rooyen was at Loftus Stadium last night, watching as Sundowns cruised to a 3-0 victory over troubled Siwelele FC.

"Deano, we think he can add things to the team, otherwise he would not come to Sundowns," Cardoso told media after the Siwelele game.

The Portuguese coach dscribed the former Stellenbosch defender as a quality player, saying Van Rooyen's career speaks for him.

"We need to integrate him as best as possisble and as quick as possible also. We trust the players we have as you saw today and we will continue to trust, but we need more options. We need not only to bring quality, but to bring numbers so that if there is a case of an injury we don't stay looking in the sky without options."

'He's not fat'

Cardoso said the right-back will be ready pretty quick.

"He is not fat. In the moment, there is not a lot of the condition regarding body composition. It's matter of physicality in terms of picking the pace to play games. Today (Wednesday), he played in a friendly match that we had. It was just 50 minutes, but he did it, together with the boys who were not in the match today, and he will for sure in the proper time understand what we want from the position. He is versatile and he is clever and a lot of experience, so he will understand very quickly whatever we ask from him."

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The Caf Champions League-winning coach has noted that most of the footballers in South Africa know each other and are cordial despite playing for different clubs, which is something that does not always happen in other countries. This is why it has been easy for Van Rooyen to settle into the team at Sundowns.

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"We even decided to take him on camp. He was with the team. He left in the morning to go train and back, so he can be integrated into the team as soon as possible. It's obvious everybody knows him and they are friends. It's a nice thing that does not happen in other countries. In South Africa, players have a friendly relation even when they are in teams that are rivals. We see that after the matches, so it's easy for them to integrate. If it was a player to come into Benfica to Porto or Porto to Benfica, it will be more difficult. Here it doesn't happen. He was beautifully welcomed and he is one more to help."

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