‘Before, it was tough personally, but my wife made it very easy and she told me that everything works through God,’ said Cupido.
Keanu Cupido has opened up about settling in at Mamelodi Sundowns after initially struggling for game time following his arrival from Cape Town City midway through last season.
Sundowns’ Cupido on the rise
Cupido forced his way into the Brazilians’ line-up at the recent FIFA Club World Cup, where he featured in all three group-stage matches against Ulsan HD, Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense.
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This season, the 27-year-old has already played in all four matches across all competitions, a marked improvement from the previous campaign where he managed just two league appearances before the Club World Cup.
“Before, it was tough personally, but my wife made it very easy and she told me that everything works through God and if it’s His time then everything will work out, and that kept me going,” Cupido said.
“She played a part in keeping me motivated and keeping my head up by continuing to work hard, so I feel like that’s the most important thing, having a supportive structure.
“Going into the (Club World Cup) tournament helped me a lot and it showed people who I am basically. Now, I feel like I have more confidence going into this season than the previous one.”
Cupido will again be expected to play a key role when Masandawana face Magesi FC in the Betway Premiership at Seshego Stadium on Wednesday night.
‘I just played simple and it helped me a lot’
He credited his teammates for helping him settle quickly and establish a strong partnership with Grant Kekana at the heart of Sundowns’ defence.
“The players at Mamelodi Sundowns make it very easy for each and every one of us,” he added.
“If you go into a big game, the players will tell you to just do the basics for the first two minutes, keep it simple and your confidence will grow from then on.
“That’s what I did, I tried to take it easy by not forcing and rushing. I just played simple and it helped me a lot to settle into the first game and from there onwards, it’s been a dream.”
Kick-off for the match is 7.30 pm with Magesi still searching for their first win of the new season after two successive draws against Polokwane City and Stellenbosch FC.
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The defending champions might have lost to Magesi in the final of last year’s Carling Knockout, but they completed a league double over the Limpopo side.