Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has praised Malibongwe Khoza following the defender’s impressive display in the Brazilians’ 3-0 victory over Siwelele FC, highlighting his growth and maturity.
Khoza was named Man of the Match after playing a key role in Sundowns’ commanding win, continuing what has been a promising run of form for the young defender.
The 22-year-old has now made seven consecutive appearances for the Tshwane giants, starting five of those matches, and has increasingly become an important part of Sundowns’ approach to building play from the back.
Cardoso believes Khoza’s current form is the result of the maturity and growth he has shown after enduring a difficult period last season.
“Last year there’s a moment Mali almost stopped playing and disappeared. He didn’t disappear, he was probably getting more maturity. He needed to now make him better,” Cardoso said.
The Portuguese coach highlighted the intense competition within the Sundowns squad, explaining that players can quickly move in and out of the starting XI based on their performances and the demands of each match.
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“Keegan was playing consistently in the beginning of the season and now he’s not in the team,” he added.
“Sometimes small details take a player out or put a player in, not because we don’t believe in them.”
While Cardoso has been impressed by Khoza’s progress, he insists there is still plenty of room for the defender to improve, particularly when it comes to his distribution.
“There’s still growth in Mali, a lot of growth in the young players in the team,” said Cardoso.
“Even when you make 97 passes out of 100, it doesn’t mean those passes can’t be more forward or more in the right places or more aggressive.”
Cardoso also spoke about the encouragement he has regularly given Khoza, with the coach backing the defender as he continues to grow in confidence and play an increasingly important role for Masandawana.
“I’m pretty satisfied to see him receive the Man of the Match. I think he deserves it. I think he had a tough time last year. I saw him crying, believe me, but we always told him the moment will appear and consistency would speak for him,” he said.
According to Cardoso, Khoza made a strong impression during pre-season, showing the determination needed to force his way into a highly competitive Sundowns side.
“He started the pre-season very well. We understood there was proper energy to come back and we hope all the players understand because we already discussed this in the group.”
“Sundowns is a very competitive environment where you can be in but suddenly you can be out. There is still space for progression because we want him to be on the top of the best. That’s what I look at with my players – that they can be at their best.”
Cardoso also believes Khoza and the rest of the Sundowns squad should have ambitions beyond club football, with the coach viewing his young players as potential Bafana Bafana internationals and future stars at bigger clubs.
“When I look at my players, they all can and should be candidates for Bafana. They all should be candidates to one day go to a better team. That’s how I see them,” he concluded.