{
  "id": 12614914,
  "title": "Miguel Cardoso cautious on player fitness as Mamelodi Sundowns prepare for MTN8 final",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/miguel-cardoso-cautious-on-player-fitness-as-mamelodi-sundowns",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-07T11:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/sport/soccer/psl/2026-10-07-miguel-cardoso-cautious-on-player-fitness-as-mamelodi-sundowns-prepare-for-mtn8-final/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso remains uncertain about the fitness of key players Aubrey Modiba, Bathusi Aubaas, and Teboho Mokoena for their upcoming MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates. The players, who sustained injuries while participating with the national team Bafana Bafana in recent qualifiers and an international friendly, have undergone medical evaluations. Despite being present at training, Cardoso emphasizes he will only field fully fit athletes. While there are indications of improvement, Cardoso is cautious, stating that the final decision will be made closer to the match date. He stresses the importance of not risking injuries, particularly in muscle strains like those Modiba and Aubaas experienced. Cardoso also cautions against focusing solely on the upcoming final, urging to consider its impact on the rest of the season. Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane acknowledged the significance of managing player workloads for both teams, hinting at potential rest for some players during the final.",
  "summary": "Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says late fitness tests will determine if Aubrey Modiba, Bathusi Aubaas, and Teboho Mokoena play in the MTN8 final.",
  "key_points": [
    "Coach Miguel Cardoso unsure about Modiba, Aubaas, Mokoena's fitness for MTN8 final.",
    "Players injured in recent national team qualifiers and friendly match.",
    "Cardoso will field only fully fit athletes, decision near match date."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}