How Brazilian came back ‘home’
Castro’s exit saves defender from wilderness
One of the notable shocks of the weekend was not necessarily that of Mamelodi Sundowns going down at Polokwane City but it was the surprise return of Ricardo Nascimento in the Brazilian colours that caught the eye. The Brazilian-born defender was initially left out of the Sundowns roster owing to the club having exhausted their foreign quota for the current season but the departure of Colombian striker Leonardo Castro to Kaizer Chiefs created an opening for Nascimento’s return, Sundowns spokesperson Thulani Thuswa told Sowetan yesterday. “Remember Ricardo was injured, he went for [an abdominal hernia] operation so it did not make sense for us to register him as he was out for a long time then and he went to recu- perate in Brazil,” Thuswa explained.
“He’s been around training with us since November and, as Castro left [for Kaizer Chiefs], it opened a foreigner spot for him [Nascimento].”
Thuswa could not immediately say whether the 30year-old had signed a new contract following media reports that the big centre-back was released from his initial deal.
Nascimento played the full 90 minutes in the 3-2 defeat to City at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday.
He led a four-man defence alongside Tebogo Langerman, Motjeka Madisha, and Anele Ngcongca but they could not wade off City’s second-half blitz.
The Limpopo side scored through Sammy Seabi, Walter Musona and Rodney Ramagalela, while Oupa Manyisa and George Lebese netted for the Absa Premiership log leaders.
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is, however, likely to reshuffle his rearguard against Ajax Cape Town in the Mother City tomorrow night (7.30pm) after Ngcongca was stretched off early in the second-half, following an awkward landing during the Polokwane game.
The club is yet to pronounce on the extent of the injury in which Ngconga appears to have badly twisted his knee when he touched down after he had gone for an aerial ball.