Mamelodi Sundowns’ Miguel Cardoso Acknowledges Club’s Need for Adaptation at Club World Cup

Mamelodi Sundowns, the South African football giants renowned for their dominance in possession, may find their ball control significantly challenged at the upcoming Club World Cup, according to head coach Miguel Cardoso.

The Pretoria side enters Group F as underdogs, with Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund anticipated to progress to the knockout rounds in the US, leaving Sundowns and South Korean team Ulsan vying for survival.

“We’re accustomed to controlling matches in the South African league,” remarked the 53-year-old Portuguese mentor, whose club has recently clinched the national title for an eighth consecutive season.

“Our possession can reach 70 per cent or even higher,” he shared with South African reporters prior to their departure for North America with a 26-player squad.

“Now we need to prepare ourselves mentally to adapt to situations where our opponents will dominate possession. I don’t believe we will manage to control games as we often do back in South Africa.”

Cardoso identified Dortmund as a team that poses a distinct challenge compared to the opponents Sundowns typically face in domestic and African competitions.

“Dortmund employ a very high-tempo, aggressive style typical of German football,” noted the coach, who has experience managing clubs in Portugal, Ukraine, France, Spain, and Greece.

Having arrived in Africa in 2024, Cardoso led Esperance to a Tunisian title and a CAF Champions League final, where they were defeated by Egypt’s Al Ahly.

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Sundowns, alongside Ahly, Esperance, and Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca, who collectively boast 20 continental Champions League titles, represent Africa in the revamped 32-team Club World Cup starting June 14.

After being dismissed by Esperance last year due to lacklustre domestic form, Cardoso was appointed by Sundowns following the sacking of local coach Manqoba Mngqithi, who lost a knockout competition final to underdogs Magesi.

Under Cardoso’s leadership, Sundowns secured the league title, but hopes for a domestic double were thwarted by a surprising FA Cup semi-final defeat to Kaizer Chiefs.

An even greater disappointment arose in the Champions League, where Sundowns eliminated Esperance and Ahly but ultimately lost the final to Pyramids, an Egyptian club making only their second appearance in the competition.

“The notion that African clubs lack organisation, particularly defensively, is false,” Cardoso asserts.

Nevertheless, a series of defensive missteps against Pyramids, both in Pretoria and Cairo, denied Sundowns a second Champions League title, following their triumph in 2016.

Poor marking allowed Pyramids to clinch an equaliser in added time in South Africa, and a weak clearance combined with further defensive lapses resulted in goals that sealed a 2-1 second-leg loss for the South Africans.

Cardoso has selected a squad featuring 20 South Africans, two Brazilians, a Chilean, a Ugandan, a Zimbabwean, and a Namibian.

The oldest player in the squad is reserve goalkeeper Denis Onyango from Uganda at the age of 40, while South African winger Kutlwano Letlhaku is the youngest at just 19.

First-choice goalkeeper Ronwen Williams showcased his skills by saving four penalties in a shootout during the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals against Cape Verde.

Khuliso Mudau is known for his finesse as a full-back, Teboho Mokoena boasts a powerful shot as an aggressive midfielder, and Brazilian forward Lucas Ribeiro was awarded the South African league’s Golden Boot last season with 16 goals.

However, all eyes on the Club World Cup will closely follow midfielder Themba Zwane, who missed the Champions League final. Former Sundowns player Joel Masilela expressed outrage at Zwane’s exclusion.

“He is our Lionel Messi and should have started or come off the bench,” Masilela stated.

“Cardoso has cost us a Champions League title.”