Sundowns Urged to Return to Traditional Style to Unleash Lucas Ribeiro in CAF Champions League Final

As Mamelodi Sundowns prepare for a high-stakes second leg against Pyramids FC in the CAF Champions League final, calls are growing louder for head coach Miguel Cardoso to revert to the club’s traditional style of play—particularly to get the best out of Brazilian playmaker Lucas Ribeiro Costa.

The first leg, played at Loftus Versfeld, ended in a frustrating 1-1 draw. Despite controlling possession for large portions of the game, the Brazilians registered only two shots on target, with their attacking threat limited by a system that saw Ribeiro and Tashreeq Matthews deployed wide to mirror Pyramids’ flanking strategy.

READ | PSL club still caught up in FIFA mud

That tactical decision has drawn criticism, especially from former Sundowns captain and club legend Benedict Vilakazi, who believes Cardoso’s approach is stifling Ribeiro’s creative influence.

“Ribeiro is the brain of the team,” Vilakazi said during an appearance on the OmniaudioAfrica YouTube channel. “He’s like ‘Mshishi’—those guys are the brains of Sundowns. You can’t take the brain out of the spinal cord and put it out wide, then expect magic. That’s not how it works.”

READ: ‘Selepe was a ball-boy three months ago’

Vilakazi questioned why Ribeiro, who thrived in a central attacking role last season, is now being used as a wide player—where he is visibly less effective. He also pointed to the inclusion of Arthur Sales in the No. 10 role as a misstep that forces Ribeiro out of position and limits his natural instincts.

“Why is Sales playing in Ribeiro’s position? When Sales is there, Ribeiro goes off-form. Look at Ribeiro’s goal—it only came when he drifted inside, into the pockets. That’s where he’s dangerous,” said Vilakazi.

Ribeiro’s numbers in this season’s CAF Champions League support that argument. He has managed just three goals in the tournament so far, with two of them coming in the early stages under former coach Manqoba Mngqithi against minnows Mbabane Swallows. His influence has waned as he’s been shifted wider and asked to play a more static role.

With the second leg looming in Cairo, Sundowns will need to be far more adventurous and clinical if they are to lift the trophy. That starts with playing to their strengths—short, intricate passing, dominance in midfield, and unleashing key creators like Ribeiro in central spaces where they can dictate tempo and unlock defences.

Cardoso now faces a critical decision: stick with the tactical setup that neutralized his own side in the first leg, or trust in the Sundowns DNA that has brought so much success over the years. Either way, the weight of expectation—and the spotlight—will be firmly on both the coach and his Brazilian maestro this weekend.