The sky is the limit at the FIFA Club World Cup for Mamelodi Sundowns after strolling to another South African title – their eighth one in a row. Just like they’ve done in recent years, Masandawana wrapped up the PSL title with weeks to spare, meaning they were able to prioritize their continental dreams in the final weeks of their domestic season.
Unfortunately for Miguel Cardoso and his side they came up short in their pursuit of African glory, losing out 3-2 to Egyptian side Pyramids over their two-legged final. While the overall defeat may have stung it may have just given the Brazilians the extra bit of motivation to take on the world’s best in the first edition of the expanded tournament.
Shifting focus after CAF Champions League heartache
Miguel Cardoso’s first season in charge of Sundowns was a successful one as the club competed on all fronts with the CAF Champions League considered as the ‘holy grail’.
Cardoso was brought in by the club to help seat them at the summit of African football once again – something he came very close to doing in his very first season. Defeat to Pyramids in the final may have just awakened something in the Sundowns squad that could eventually push them to greater heights. We could see glimpses of those heights at the Club World Cup after they made a winning start by beating Ulsan HD 1-0 to open their campaign.
Masandawana’s Club World Cup opponents
The Betway Premiership champions have been tasked with tackling a competitive Group F at the Club World Cup with Sundowns being based in Florida during the 32- team competition. Masandawana are joined by German giants Borussia Dortmund, South Korea’s Ulsan HD and Brazilian side Fluminense. The South African champions kicked off their tournament with an impressive 1-0 win over Ulsan. Iqraam Rayners netted the important goal in Masandawana’s victory that saw them head to the top of the group after Dortmund and Fluminense played out to a goalless stalemate. Dortmund are next up for Miguel Cardoso’s side in Ohio on June 21 st . Sundowns wrap up their group stage with a clash against Fluminense on June 25. Cardoso and his players have put themselves in a good position to advance into the Round of 16 that kicks off at the end of the month.
Sundowns’ preparations
Making Florida their base, Sundowns enjoyed solid preparations before the tournament kicked off with the South African kings winning their two friendlies. The Brazilians won both their warm-up games after netting six unanswered goals times in their friendlies against Miami FC and Sarasota on the eve of the tournament. They weren’t the finished article by any means but those results certainly boosted their confidence after last month’s heartbreak in the CAF Champions League final.
Sundowns players to watch in the USA
Miguel Cardoso’s squad is littered with talent who will all want to make their mark on the world’s stage while writing another chapter in the club’s history. Midfielder conductor, Teboho Mokoena, will be integral to any success Sundowns have at the tournament as well as Grant Kekana at the heart of the defence. Sundowns and Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams will also have big part to play, leading the backline together with Kekana. Up front, Lucas Ribeiro Costa, Peter Shalulile and Iqraam Rayners will cause problems for the opposition with Rayners already opening his scoring account while bagging the Man of the Match award against Ulsan. The South African champions have also been boosted by the return of talisman, Themba Zwane, after his lengthy injury layoff.
