Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has reacted to the absence of his key defender Grant Kekana for the second leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final tie on Saturday.
Kekana was shown a red card in the reverse fixture in Tunisia, where they came out with a 1-0 result, which could prove to be vital as the away-goal rule still applies.
In the absence of Kekana, Cardoso will have several options to pick from, such as Malibongwe Khoza, Keano Cupido, and Keagan Johannes, to pair up with young defender Khulumani Ndamane.
Scramble to fill void
Speaking to the media on Friday ahead of the big clash, the Portuguese tactician said ideally, he would have liked to have his best defender in the team, but expects whoever who will fill Kekana’s shoes, to deliver.
“All teams are always stronger when they have all the players available. All teams,” Cardoso emphasised.
“So, it’s normal when we arrive at this point of the season, where there are players that are not available for punishments or whatever that might have happened.
“But teams must be strong enough to have players in their squads who can play whenever called to rise to the occasion.
“And that’s what I expect from my players from this time, that whoever plays will for sure give their best and be capable of dealing with the situation.”
Kekana’s absence ‘a big blow’
Sundowns defender Cupido, who was speaking to the media midweek, admitted that the absence of Kekana will be a big blow, given his experience and contribution so far this season.
“It’s a big blow because he (Kekana) has years of experience, and he has helped us a lot. We will miss him. We have Ndamane, who is very young, a very good player, and Kegan (Johannes) there as well,” Cupido said.
“We know they can fill the shoes of Grant, and heading into the game, they will also need my help because they are not that experienced at this stage of the tournament.
“We have been doing well with rotating our centre-backs. Everyone has received opportunities, which I think they took well. Now there’s an opportunity for another one to fill the spot.”
The game will get underway at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, with the sold-out game scheduled to get underway at 3pm.
- Mamelodi Sundowns' key defender Grant Kekana will miss the CAF Champions League semi-final second leg due to a red card in the first leg.
- Coach Miguel Cardoso expressed disappointment but emphasized the team’s strength in depth and confidence in replacements like Malibongwe Khoza, Keano Cupido, and Keagan Johannes.
- Cardoso highlighted the importance of squad depth and expects anyone playing in Kekana’s place to rise to the occasion.
- Defender Keano Cupido acknowledged Kekana’s absence as a significant loss due to his experience but expressed confidence in younger defenders to step up.
- The crucial second leg match is set for 3pm at Loftus Versfeld Stadium with a sold-out crowd expected.
