Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso believes Thato Sibiya is ready to embrace the challenge that awaits him ahead of his imminent move to Ligue 1 giants LOSC Lille.
A better way of writing Sibiya has emerged as one of the promising talents in the Sundowns setup and is now set for a major step in his career by moving to Europe.
His expected switch to Lille will provide the youngster with an opportunity to test himself in one of the continent’s top leagues and continue his development at a club with a strong reputation for nurturing young talent.
Cardoso has backed Sibiya to make the most of the opportunity, insisting that the midfielder has the qualities and mentality required to handle the demands that come with playing at the highest level.
The Sundowns mentor will be hoping Sibiya can continue to develop and gain valuable experience before taking the next step in his career.
For Sibiya, the move represents an exciting new chapter and a chance to prove himself on the European stage.
With the support of Cardoso and the Sundowns environment behind him, the youngster will be determined to leave a lasting impression before beginning his journey in France.
“Regarding Thato, it’s a fantastic opportunity,” Cardoso told the media.
“As you know, I coached in France, so I know very well the club he goes to, I know very well the facilities that they have, I know very well the stability in terms of the process of developing young players.
“It’s also at the same time a very, very competitive environment that he’ll face. Obviously, I think he’s ready for the challenge.
“What will speak for him is not the level of readiness he takes, it’s the level of readiness he’s gonna still develop there.
“French football is very special, it’s a very flat football. He will have to cope with a lot of fast players, it’s a game of transition, a lot of exploitation of spaces. In some moments it can be compared to our game, but Lille is a good school of football, a team that likes to play good football.
“As much as we believe he could be an important player for the future of Sundowns, we also know he will be an important player for the future of South Africa – that’s an opportunity it’s difficult to say no.
“And the club has to protect their own rights on the situation, so we’re excited about that, we want to show him succeed. And we want to show him the character he needs, so it shows what kind of players we develop in the club.”
