Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has warned his players to expect significantly less time on the ball when they take on the world’s elite at the Club World Cup, a stark contrast to their usual dominance in South Africa’s domestic league.
The Pretoria-based side, who recently clinched their eighth consecutive South African league title, are known for their high-possession style of play. However, they now find themselves in a tough Group F alongside Brazilian champions Fluminense, Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, and South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai, with Fluminense and Dortmund widely tipped to progress.
“In South Africa, we usually control matches with 70% possession, sometimes even more,” said the 53-year-old Portuguese manager before flying out to North America with a 26-man squad. “But now, we have to be mentally prepared for situations where we won’t dominate possession. It’s unlikely we’ll control games the way we’re used to.”
Cardoso, who previously managed clubs in Portugal, Ukraine, France, Spain and Greece, identified Dortmund as a particularly challenging opponent.
“They play an intense, aggressive style – typical of German football. It’s a different test from what we face in South Africa or even in African competitions,” he explained.
Cardoso joined Sundowns after a brief spell in North Africa where he led Esperance to the Tunisian league title and the CAF Champions League final, before being dismissed due to inconsistent domestic results. He replaced Manqoba Mngqithi at Sundowns after the club’s shock defeat to Magesi in a local cup final.
Since taking over, Cardoso guided Sundowns to another league triumph, though a semi-final exit in the FA Cup and a heartbreaking CAF Champions League final loss to Egypt’s Pyramids denied the club a potential treble. Despite victories over former champions Esperance and Al Ahly en route to the final, a string of defensive errors saw Sundowns fall short.
Cardoso refuted the idea that African clubs lack defensive discipline. “The belief that African teams are disorganised defensively is a misconception,” he stated. However, costly lapses in concentration led to a last-gasp equaliser in Pretoria and two soft goals in the return leg in Cairo, as Pyramids secured a 3-2 aggregate win.
Sundowns’ squad for the Club World Cup features 20 South Africans, along with players from Brazil, Chile, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Veteran Ugandan keeper Denis Onyango, aged 40, is the squad’s eldest member, while 19-year-old winger Kutlwano Letlhaku is the youngest. South Africa’s number one, Ronwen Williams, who famously saved four penalties in an Africa Cup of Nations shootout against Cape Verde, will start in goal.
Standout players include full-back Khuliso Mudau, hard-hitting midfielder Teboho Mokoena, and Brazilian striker Lucas Ribeiro, last season’s top scorer in the South African league with 16 goals.
But much of the spotlight will be on veteran playmaker Themba Zwane. The 35-year-old, often compared to Lionel Messi for his influence and flair, did not feature in the Champions League final – a decision which has sparked widespread criticism.
Former Sundowns winger Joel Masilela was among those outraged by Zwane’s omission. “He’s our Lionel Messi – he should have started or at least come off the bench,” he said. “Cardoso cost us the Champions League title.”
Sundowns, along with fellow African heavyweights Al Ahly, Wydad Casablanca, and Esperance, will represent the continent at the expanded 32-team tournament, which kicks off in the United States on June 14.
