Message sent to Miguel Cardoso by Bafana Bafana captain amid lack of Mamelodi Sundowns game time! - 'Don’t be surprised to see Neo Maema knocking on the door of the starting lineup.’

Bafana Bafana participated in the African Nations Championship qualifiers against Egypt and won 4-2 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in Bloemfontein and a 3-1 victory in Egypt. The team was captained by Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Neo Maema, who impressed with his performance and scored in the away leg. Despite his national team success, the 29-year-old has struggled for game time at Sundowns, making only 13 appearances this season. He faces stiff competition from Marcelo Allende and Jayden Adams, who have been Miguel Cardoso’s preferred midfield pairing.

He joined the Brazilians in 2021 but has since fallen down the pecking order, however, club legend Hlompho Kekana believes his strong displays against Egypt will boost his chances at club level. Kekana stated that his performances caught the attention of the Portuguese coach and that he could soon be pushing for more minutes. The most successful captain in PSL history shared these views on the Pitchside Podcast.

“Training sessions, of course, prepare you for matches, but we improve in games. And that helps when you’re playing in the national team because you’re playing against the players that you normally compete against at the highest level. So for him to go to the national team and perform as he did, it will help his confidence, it will help how he sees the game this season—because he hasn’t been playing so much. He was the captain of the team, and that helps a lot because then you know that we rely on you to give us this motivation—to go over the line,” said Kekana on the Pitchside Podcast.

“So that will bring a different Neo coming into this last game of the season. Don’t be surprised to see Neo knocking on the door of the starting lineup simply because of those performances. And of course, the coaches watch, and they see. They observe body language, they see how you do things that side, and maybe the coach didn’t see him properly at training. Now, it is a big opportunity to be seen in international matches, which, for me, gives him enough opportunity to come and play for Mamelodi Sundowns .”

After successfully leading a "second-string" Bafana Bafana side, Maema now looks ahead to the next challenge as South Africa will face Malawi in the next round of the qualifiers, with the first leg scheduled for May 2-3 and the return fixture on May 10-11. The winner will book a place in the tournament set to be hosted in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

With one year remaining on his Sundowns contract, Maema hopes his Chan experience will help him earn more minutes at club level. He has only played 137 minutes since Cardoso’s arrival and will use this opportunity to prove his worth. A strong showing in the qualifiers could strengthen his case for more game time at Masandawana.

Mamelodi Sundowns will host AmaZulu, who have been in fine form under Arthur Zwane. The visiting side recently parted ways with co-coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi, adding uncertainty to their setup. Sundowns, sitting 16 points ahead of second-placed Orlando Pirates, have nine games remaining in the league. They will be looking to extend their lead and edge closer to securing another PSL title.