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IOL News
14 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Mamelodi Sundowns: History beckons at Club World Cup against Fluminense
HISTORY BECKONS Mamelodi Sundowns face a crucial match against Fluminense at the Club World Cup in Florida, needing a win to advance past the group stages for the first time in South African history. Picture: Federico Parra/AFP Now, with the Group F standings intriguingly poised, Sundowns still have a chance of being one of the two teams to advance. No South African team has ever advanced beyond the group stages of the competition. That in part is due to the fact that Sundowns are the only SA team to have ever played in the premier club competition before. History will be on the line when Mamelodi Sundowns take on Fluminense at the Club World Cup at the Hard Rock Cafe, in Florida, USA, on Wednesday evening. Fluminense Leads Group, Sundowns Face Must-Win Against Brazilian Giants Fluminense currently top the group with four points on a goal difference of two. Borussia Dortmund are second with the same number of points, but with a goal difference of one. Meanwhile, Sundowns are third with three points. Ulsan are still without a point after two defeats. With Dortmund taking on Ulsan at the same time as the Sundowns game, it's expected that the German Giants will be too strong for the South Korean outfit. It therefore means that the only way Sundowns can go through is with a win against the much-fancied Fluminense from Brazil. One Sundowns player who will be intent on redemption is star goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. Williams made perhaps the most basic and glaring mistake of his career on the biggest stage early in the second half to gift Dortmund a goal which sent them 2-1 ahead over the weekend. Though Sundowns competed strongly in the latter stages of the clash, it was a lead Dortmund would never relinquish. @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
IOL News
2 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Sundowns' kasi flavour vs German precision: A battle to remember
Toast of world football Sundowns players pose for a team photograph ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup clash against Borussia Dortmund last Saturday. Photo: Federico Parra/AFP Image: Federico Parra/AFP Mamelodi Sundowns have been winning over new fans thanks to their exploits at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. Sundowns, the perennial South African champions known as the Brazilians, kicked off their campaign with an impressive 1-0 win over Ulsan last week. They followed it up with a solid performance against German giants Borussia Dortmund, narrowly losing 4-3. One player who's hit top form and got the world talking is – actual – Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro, who has put in a number of impressive shifts. In their opening game against Ulsan, Sundowns found the back of the net three times, but two of those goals were ruled out. All of them were scored by Iqraam Rayners, with Ribeiro having a hand in each one. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. In Sundowns' second game, Ribeiro stunned everyone in attendance at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati when he scored a brilliant solo goal to put his team in front after just 11 minutes. He picked up the ball in his own half, and slalomed his way past a few Dortmund defenders to slot the ball past Gregor Kobel. It was appropriate that an actual Brazilian was lighting up the stage for a team playing in yellow and blue. The Sundowns style of play, featuring short, slick passes and a patient build-up, which is colloquially known as 'shoe shine and piano,' was on full display, and the world took note. For parts of the game, Dortmund, with their gegenpress, couldn't cope with Sundowns' kasi flavour. Many believe had it not been for Ronwen Williams' mistake in the first half, and Khuliso Mudau's own goal on the hour mark, Sundowns could have walked away with a very famous win. Unfortunately, Sundowns' impressive performances on the world stage mean a number of clubs with big wallets will be taking note of their players. The likes of Ribeiro, Rayners, Teboho Mokoena, and Marcelo Allende might never be seen gracing the PSL again. Orlando Pirates, Stellenbosch FC, and Kaizer Chiefs will be looking on and hoping that Sundowns lose a number of their key players ahead of the new season, as that could weaken them. But whatever the future holds, Sundowns have already achieved something far more valuable than silverware – they've earned global respect. For 90 minutes against one of Europe's elite, they showed that South African football belongs on the biggest stages. In a tournament designed to celebrate the best of the best, the Brazilians didn't just show up – they danced, dazzled, and nearly delivered a shock for the ages. IOL Sport * The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media. ** JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Send us an email with your comments, thoughts or responses to [email protected]. Letters should be a maximum of 500 words, and may be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Submissions should include a contact number and physical address (not for publication).
IOL News
4 days ago
- Climate
- IOL News
Borussia Dortmund coach blames hot weather for poor performance against Mamelodi Sundowns
TOUGH CONDITIONS Sundowns' South African forward Lebo Mothiba (C) reacts after scoring his team's third goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group F football match between South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns and Germany's Borussia Dortmund at the TQL stadium in Cincinnati on June 21, 2025. Picture: Federico Parra/AFP Borussia Dortmund substitutes cowered from the sun in the team's Club World Cup win over Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday, in conditions coach Niko Kovac described as like "a sauna". The German side won 4-3 in Cincinnati at the TQL Stadium under a blazing sun, with the team's reserves watching the first half from the dressing room and the second under umbrellas on the bench. "I'm sweating like I've just come out of a sauna," said Kovac, who had already complained about the expected conditions on Friday before the Group F clash with the South Africans. "It was tough going for both teams, but the opposition are used to it. We certainly didn't give our best performance, but that wasn't possible today.'
