Nathan Fasika of Cape Town City tackles Arthur Sales of Mamelodi Sundowns during a Betway Premiership match at Cape Town Stadium on 3 May 2025. (Photo: Grant Pitcher / Gallo Images) 
Of the four African teams who qualified for the Club World Cup, only South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns have won the Champions League fewer than three times. Despite this, Masandawana carry the hopes of the continent as the group stage nears its conclusion.
Sundowns went to the controversial US-hosted tournament alongside fellow African heavyweights Al Ahly (Egypt), Tunisia’s Espérance and Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca. Despite displaying some exciting soccer during the group phase, none of the three teams qualified for the round of 16.
Serial South African champions Sundowns, on the other hand, are in with a great chance to be the only African team in the knockout phase. The task is simple: they must beat Fluminense. The Brazilian team occupies the driver’s seat in Group F, leading the mini-league via goal difference; they are tied on four points apiece with Germany’s Borussia Dortmund.
This means that for Masandawana (who are on three points after their 1-0 win over South Korea’s Ulsan), anything other than a victory in Wednesday night’s tussle will condemn them to the same fate as their fellow African clubs.
The only other hope for Sundowns would be Ulsan somehow trouncing Dortmund, while the African side draws against Fluminense. This would place Masandawana and Dortmund on four points each, but Sundowns would advance to the knockout stage on goal difference.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2220598557.jpg "Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso at their Club World Cup Group F match against Borussia Dortmund at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on 21 June 2025. (Photo: Marcio Machado / Eurasia Sport Images / Getty Images)")
Take control
Despite being aware of the threat posed by Fluminense, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso wants his team to take control of their own destiny. This entails Masandawana eliminating the frantic pace from their second group game – when they lost 4-3 to Dortmund.
“It’s not normal to concede four goals for Sundowns. With me at the helm, it’s never happened. The maximum goals we suffered since I arrived at the club [in December 2024] was two, which is very rare as well. So, we played that Dortmund game in a very uncomfortable zone. But it’s also not normal for any team to score three goals against Dortmund,” reasoned Cardoso.
Sundowns and Fluminense play a similar style of soccer, where they love to hog the ball and make their rivals chase it around.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2220601624.jpg "Karim Adeyemi of Borussia Dortmund competes for the ball with Thiago Silva of Fluminense at the Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on 17 June 2025. (Photo: Image Photo Agency / Getty Images)")
With kick-off scheduled for 3pm at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, the heat will be a major factor. A maximum of 31°C is predicted. Cardoso said there’s nothing much they can do about that, they just have to focus on what they can control.
“We know that if we concede four goals against Fluminense, we will lose the match for sure. So, we have to be more complete… We have to try to manage the game as much as possible in the moments when we have the ball, also the rhythm of the game,” Cardoso stated.
“When there’s chaos in the game, it’s not easy to control. I don’t like chaos in games, it’s not the way we like to play,” the 53-year-old added.
Last African team standing
Cardoso also defended the showings of African teams at the revamped World Cup, saying there are a number of factors to consider when judging the three teams that have already bowed out, particularly Al Ahly and Wydad.
“It’s important to understand that the four African teams that are in the competition are in different moments… Ahly has a strong identity, but they changed their coach one month ago. Wydad also changed the coach one month ago. So those teams are still adapting to new ideas,” he said.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TL_2360816.jpg "Arthur Sales of Mamelodi Sundowns is challenged by Njabulo Blom of Kaizer Chiefs during their Premiership match at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria on 1 March 2025. (Photo: Lefty Shivambu / Gallo Images)")
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2220639087.jpg "Thiago Silva of Fluminense and Gustav Ludwigson of Ulsan fight for possession during a Club World Cup Group F match in New Jersey on 21 June 2025. (Photo: Andre Durao / Sports Press Photo / Getty Images)")
Sundowns’ Brazilian striker Arthur Sales – who Masandawana made the most expensive signing in the history of the Premier Soccer League a year ago (with a transfer of R63-million) – is looking forward to doing battle against some of his compatriots. Sales said Fluminense will not disrespect Sundowns after seeing what they are capable of doing.
“When Fluminense watched our game against Dortmund, they saw the quality we will bring to the pitch against them. It’s going to be a good game because both teams play the same kind of football,” Sales said.
“All their players are good players and they are fit to play for a team as good as Fluminense. We know that the likes of Jhon Arias, Thiago Silva and Matheus Martinelli will give us a tough time, but we are ready and excited to take them on, hoping for a positive result.”
The decisive tie takes place at 9pm South African time on 25 June and will be broadcast live on SuperSport 204. DM