Arthur Sales has come out with compliments for what he is doing at Mamelodi Sundowns after an impressive start to the new season.
Sales has three goals/assists in as many this term taking much of the responsibilities carried by fellow Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro Costa last season.
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Ribeiro hasn’t played for the league champions this season due to transfer related issues which has opened an avenue for Sales to step up.
"I understood since last year that there is a lot of misunderstanding towards Arthur Sales and people shouting too much at him," said Miguel Cardoso, the Sundowns coach speaking after their 2-0 win over AmaZulu on Tuesday.
"Arthur is a player that people shouldn’t look at him and imagine that now that he is playing on the right that he will be similar to Lucas Ribeiro.
"There is no one that will ever be like Lucas Ribeiro on the pitch and the coach doesn’t look for a player on the right that will be like Lucas Ribeiro because that doesn’t exist.
"Lucas is Lucas and Arthur is Arthur.
"Each player has his own characteristics.
"Arthur is a very good player, very good player that arrived in South Africa and was not given the attention and credit that he deserves.
"I think people are now gradually starting to understand and if you look at his numbers, and if you think together with me how he impacted the team last year when he entered the pitch always giving goals and assists, I think Arthur was already important last year," says Cardoso.
The lanky Brazilian has played 45 matches at Sundowns with 22 goal contributions, giving him an average return of a goal/assist in every second match that he plays for the club.
"I think he is a little bit underrated in what he is really capable of doing and today we saw a fantastic second half from him.
"If he would be a little bit more jealous, then he would have scored more than one goal.
"Arthur scores goals very easy and will score goals throughout the season like Peter, like Iqraam (Rayners) because he is a player with a good relation with the goal.
"He can also make assists because he is very clever.
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"He will become better and better as he gets to understand South African football.
"He needs a chance to grow like the others and is steps ahead in that process and will for sure continue to do good things," says Cardoso.
Sales was the second most efficient attacker in the minutes played against goals/assists category at Sundowns last season prior to the club heading to the Club World Cup.
Photo: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
