Cardoso reveals Basadien’s remarkable Sundowns turnaround
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has revealed just how dramatically Fawaaz Basadien has turned his fortunes around at the club.
The left-back endured a difficult first season at Chloorkop. Basadien joined Sundowns from Stellenbosch last season but struggled to establish himself as a regular.
He made only 11 appearances across all competitions. Just five of those were starts.
His lack of game time reportedly fuelled speculation that Sundowns could send him out on loan during the mid-season transfer window.
However, the 28-year-old remained at the club. And now, he has responded in emphatic fashion.
Basadien has started all five matches he has played this season. He has quickly established himself as a key option at left-back.
Cardoso has been impressed by the defender’s response. The Sundowns coach highlighted Basadien’s commitment and determination to improve.
“You saw Fawaaz playing today (Sunday), the level that he showed, but last year he almost didn’t play,” said Cardoso.
“Maybe even he was a step out of the club. I’m saying maybe, not that it was correct; maybe people thought that he would go away.
“But how he showed commitment to start the season and excel himself and try to be better than the others and at the same time being friends is amazing.”
Cardoso also praised the healthy competition within his squad. “I love to see, for example, Brayan [Leon] and Iqraam [Rayners] and Lebo [Mothiba] fighting together because they support each other as much as they are competitors,” said Cardoso.
Basadien’s transformation could now prove to be one of the early success stories of Sundowns’ season.
