Will Themba Zwane make it to the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup? Miguel Cardoso explains why he dropped Mamelodi Sundowns captain from the PSL title-winning victory over Chippa United

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso dropped captain Themba Zwane from Wednesday's 3-0 Premier Soccer League win over Chippa United at Buffalo City Stadium.

The Masandawana midfielder is coming from a long-term injury sustained in October 2024 and saw him miss six months of competitive football.

Cardoso explains why he did not select Zwane to play against Chippa.

“Well, yesterday [Tuesday], Chippa United were very kind to allow us to have a small training session here [Buffalo City Stadium]. It’s a beautiful stadium, and we had a training session because we travelled early in the morning,” Cardoso told SuperSport TV.

“We also had the chance to understand that there’s a lot of sand on the pitch, which was visible to everybody. So, I decided not to risk Themba [Zwane]. You know Themba is coming back from an Achilles injury, which was quite severe. 

“So, it can be very tricky for him to play on a pitch with these kinds of conditions. Such beautiful stadiums, I’m sure they will have a beautiful football ambience," added the Portuguese tactician. 

“It’s really important to protect the players in order to avoid injuries, and Themba had a particular situation where he is coming back from injury and is getting better and getting playing minutes. I believe he expected to find a way to play today [Wednesday], for sure, but everybody has to understand that my job is to protect my players.”

Since returning from injury in April, Zwane has made six appearances in the PSL and Caf Champions League, all coming from the bench.

Cardoso has opted for a cautious approach when handling his captain, who is expected to play a key role in the upcoming crucial games.

Masandawana have the two-legged Champions League final as well as participation at the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup in June, matches they would need the experienced Zwane to start.

Sundowns are left with just one match before they conclude this season's PSL campaign.

They host Magesi FC on Sunday and it is not a match Cardoso would be pressed to summon his best performers to duty.