Nascimento let go by Brazilians

Ricardo Nascimento of Mamelodi Sundowns

Tuesday Feb 08, 2022. 10:00

Ricardo Nascimento has expressed his gratitude to the adoring Mamelodi Sundowns fans after parting ways with the DStv Premiership champions.

The 35-year-old defender has been let go by the Brazilians to free up space in their squad for Bolivian midfielder Erwin Saavedra.

Top-flight clubs are only allowed to have five foreign players on their books, with four of those spots at Chloorkop currently taken up by Pavol Safranko, Gaston Sirino, Divine Lunga and Peter Shalulile.

The impending arrival of Saavedra meant there was no longer a place for Nascimento, who brings to an end his six-year stay in Pretoria.

The Brazilian joined Sundowns in 2016 from Portuguese side Academica and went on to make 144 appearances in all competitions, scoring 17 goals in the process.

The veteran centre-back won seven trophies with Masandawana, including four successive league titles.

Nascimento took to social media on Tuesday to bid farewell to the club’s supporters, having subsequently returned to his homeland.

“Thanks for the support, Sundowns fans! I really enjoyed and was very happy at Mamelodi Sundowns!! Thank you,” he wrote on Twitter.