Talking about the team and the issues they are facing, Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso spoke about the issues facing striker Lucas Ribeiro that have prevented him from being one of the most prolific goal-scorers this season.

Lucas Ribeiro's last goal for Mamelodi Sundowns came on 5 March against the Golden Arrows in the Betway Premiership in a match that ended in a goalless draw, with the player having made 40 appearances this season in all competitions for the club.

However, in the last seven games in all competitions, the player has failed to score a single goal, further fuelling doubts about the player's lack of form.

The player has scored on two occasions in the Caf Champions League this season for his side.

What did Miguel Cardoso said on his player situation

Following Mamelodi Sundowns’ first-leg semi-final draw against Al Ahly in the CAF Champions League, coach Rulani Mokwena was asked about Lucas Ribeiro’s recent performances. Known for his candid assessments, Mokwena admitted concerns over the Brazilian attacker’s struggles, acknowledging that Ribeiro has faced increased defensive attention from opponents—a challenge that’s complicating his impact on games.

Teams are worried so much about him by closing him, and two or three players will be over him, making his job much, much more difficult, And because of that, we don’t see him so free on the pitch. What is important is that the team understands that when two players go on him, there are other spaces on the pitch that should be used.

Cardoso said.

And we should relate to that, and he should understand if he receives so much pressure, he should release the ball. Let the other ones play. So that he can position himself in order to find the spaces and play. Lucas and the other players we have in the team are players who can make the difference, I think it will happen naturally with Lucas because he’s working normally. So I just hope he can be stable enough to make that moment arrive and appear. Football is exactly like that. It’s important that we can move forward

Cardoso concluded.