Van Rooyen was officially unveiled by Masandawana on Sunday afternoon, shortly before Sundowns edged Golden Arrows 2-1 at King Zwelithini Stadium.
The Brazilians moved swiftly to secure Van Rooyen’s signature following injuries to first-choice right-back Khuliso Mudau to a long-term Achilles tendon injury, while Zuko Mdunyelwa has also been dealing with an injury.
Cardoso revealed that the club had already identified Van Rooyen as an option following Mdunyelwa’s injury setback, although the coach remains hopeful that Mudau could return sooner than expected.
“I knew that there were movements in trying to go for him (Deano Van Rooyen), because there was an immediate crisis after Zuko (Mdunyelwa) had to come off in the previous match, but today (Sunday) he was on the bench,” Cardoso told the media after the game.
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“I didn’t know the extent of that injury – and I will repeat – I trust my players, and I hope that Mudau will come back and maybe surprise us to recover quicker. We have Thapelo Morena, we have Zuko, and now we have brought Deano. Obviously, he’s coming to help. He is an experienced player, and let’s see what he can give us.”
Sundowns had initially targeted Polokwane City defender Thabang Matuludi, but the Limpopo club reportedly refused to entertain offers for the highly-rated right-back.
That prompted Masandawana to turn their attention to Van Rooyen, who arrives with considerable top-flight experience.
The defender spent eight years at Stellenbosch where he was also the captain of the side for two seasons, before joining the Buccaneers in 2024 and going to make 51 appearances for the Soweto based side.
Cardoso is now hoping the experienced defender can settle quickly and make a positive impact at Chloorkop.