Miguel Reisinho and Nuno Santos have been added to the Brazilians, but what do they bring, writes Mazola Molefe.
When Rulani Mokwena, then Mamelodi Sundowns coach, described one of his signings as a “ceiling raiser”, it became one of those phrases that stuck.
He was referring to striker Abubeker Nasir, a player expected to elevate the club’s level with pace, goals and fierce competition for Peter Shalulile.
Fast forward a few seasons, and Mokwena’s successor Miguel Cardoso could easily borrow that same phrase when talking about his latest midfield recruits: Miguel Reisinho and Nuno Santos.
The Portuguese pair were signed just before the September transfer deadline, in a window where Sundowns scrambled to reinforce after the shock departure of Lucas Ribeiro, the reigning Footballer of the Year.
His move left a gaping creative void and the team’s sluggish start to the 2025/26 campaign made that clear.
Cardoso admitted as much. Sundowns had lacked rhythm and invention, struggling to adapt to life without their talisman. Enter the “ceiling raisers”.
In identifying solutions, sporting director Flemming Berg worked closely with Cardoso, tapping into his European scouting network.
Together, they unearthed two midfielders ready for a fresh challenge and, crucially, capable of slotting into the club’s expansive playing philosophy.
It did not come cheap. Nuno Santos cost a reported R20 million from Vitória Guimarães in Portugal’s topflight, one of Sundowns’ most significant recent investments. Reisinho, by contrast, arrived as a free agent, having left Boavista.
But while their price tags differed, so too did their integration.
“They are in two different positions because, unfortunately, Miguel lost the opportunity to play more consistently through the fact that he got a red card in the first match he entered,” Cardoso explained, referring to Reisinho’s sending off just seven minutes into his debut, a Carling Knockout fixture against Marumo Gallants that Sundowns went on to lose on penalties.
“That took him out for several matches, which delayed his affirmation in the team. But inside the group, everyone understood from day one that he’s a player who will contribute to our development,” the coach added.
Cardoso’s faith in Reisinho is unwavering. “He’s a quality player, at the level of Mamelodi Sundowns, and he’s completely accepted,” he said.
If Reisinho’s start has been unfortunate, Santos’ arrival has been anything but. The 26-year-old, who previously played for Benfica and had a stint in Major League Soccer, hit the ground running.
