Miguel Cardoso steps in to revive Mamelodi Sundowns’ struggling youngsters as Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates youth stars continue to steal the spotlight

Mamelodi Sundowns are known for their bold moves in the transfer market, often signing big-name players.

In the past, they’ve produced academy talents like Percy Tau, Motjeka Madisha, and Cassius Mailula, who made a name in the senior setup.

Recently, Malibongwe Khoza showed promise after graduating but has since fallen down the pecking order.

Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates have seen their youngsters shine, with Mohau Nkota and Relebohile Mofokeng standing out.

The latter has even become a Bafana Bafana international.

Kaizer Chiefs have also given youth a chance, with Mduduzi Shabalala and Wandile Duba impressing. Duba is currently the club’s top scorer.

Sundowns' head coach addressed concerns about youth development at Chloorkop, admitting it's tough for young players to secure regular game time.

He emphasized the need for patience and gradual integration for academy players.

"The expectations are from the ones already working with us. What you need to understand is the process of bringing up a young player because young players fluctuate a lot in their performances," Cardoso said as reported by Soccer Laduma.

"And they don't deal the same way with the expectations that are put on them generally. But I think we've been watching some nice things from the players we lined up. (Asekho) Tiwani played against Chiefs at a very good level, he was with us on the bench in the CAF Champions League.

"I was confident to put on 'Mali', he has been playing a lot in our team and we have many more, Kutlwano helped us to arrive at this moment, if you remember the goal we scored at home, in the first game against Raja, it was a pass from Kutlwano in a long ball from Ronwen (Williams)," the Portuguese coach continued.

"So the boys are showing their level but you should understand the youngster should prove himself every day his quality on the training sessions, you need to push them to the limit and that is why their level fluctuates.

"Because when a young boy comes from the process (academy), it's not easy to cope with the expectations and responsibility put on them. So we need to embrace them and protect them," the former Esperance coach added.

With South Africa’s junior national teams performing well, pressure is mounting on clubs to give young players more minutes.

This development benefits both the clubs and the country in the long term.

The U20 team under Raymond Mdaka will be doing country duty at the Afcon under 20 with rising stars like Asekho Tiwani, Mfundo Vilakazi, and Mbekezeli Mbokazi. These players are already gaining regular experience in the PSL, which bodes well for their future and the national team setup.

Cardoso and his Sundowns team prepare for a crucial Nedbank Cup semi-final clash.

They face Chiefs in a highly anticipated match that could see them making their second final this season.