Nuno Santos on making his Mamelodi Sundowns debut | OneFootball

Mamelodi Sundowns' new star looks happy with his new team.

Nuno Santos on making his Mamelodi Sundowns debut

In his first outing for Mamelodi Sundowns, new recruit Nuno Santos endured a bittersweet debut at King Zwelithini Stadium. The 26-year-old Portuguese midfielder, freshly signed from Vitória de Guimarães on transfer deadline day, came off the bench in the second half of Wednesday’s Betway Premiership clash against Golden Arrows—only to see his side fall to a narrow 1-0 defeat, their first loss of the 2025/26 campaign.

Reflecting on the occasion, Santos opened up about his mixed emotions, saying, “[I had] mixed feelings because I wanted to start with a win; unfortunately, we couldn’t do it. But at the same time, I am happy with my debut here at Sundowns. I am very proud of the team. We tried to get the three points during the 90 minutes, sadly, we couldn’t do it, but we will go again next game.”

He went on to describe the nature of the contest, adding, “It was a very physical game and an emotional game, quality as well. There were moments as well that the team played well, and yeah, I am very happy.”

Beyond the result, Santos expressed his deep gratitude for the warm welcome from the Sundowns faithful, whose passionate support was a refreshing change from what he experienced in Portugal. “I am really happy to be here, I felt a huge support from the fans. Obviously, it’s very different from Portugal, but it is very good at the same time,” he noted. “Everybody made it easier, not only them [fans] but the rest of the team as well. I want to thank them for the way they welcomed me. I feel good here, and I hope to give joy to the team and to the fans.”