Juventus in right direction, says Tudor after power win at CWC, Hilal hold Real
Juventus coach Igor Tudor believes his team are heading in the right direction after playing some brilliant football to beat Emirati side Al-Ain 5-0 in their Club World Cup (CWC) opener on Wednesday.
Tudor took over from Thiago Motta in March in the midst of a disappointing campaign after Juve had exited all cup competitions. He helped the club finish fourth in Serie A to secure a return to the Champions League next year.
Juventus won the last of their 36 Serie A title in 2020. They are also without a major international trophy for over two decades and the revamped Club World Cup gives them an opportunity to change that.
Club management have thrown their weight behind Tudor to lead the team's revival, with the coach extending his contract until 2028 earlier this month.
'I felt like the team really cared about this match, they were really motivated. They were on their mettle. They have that desire,' Tudor said.
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The South African
an hour ago
- The South African
Dutch giants monitoring Bafana Bafana forward!
Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven are reportedly monitoring Bafana Bafana striker Iqraam Rayners, who played a pivotal role in the Pretoria outfits league winning season. 'Yes, there has been interest in him from Holland. It's a top club. It's believed that PSV Eindhoven are the club interested in him but at the moment things are with the office and there is nothing much we can say,' a source revealed. 'But yes, they are believed to have their scouts at the Club World Cup in the United States. So most of the information will be known once the team comes back from there. But apparently, the interest is high and strong.' Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams embracing Relebohile Mofokeng after his debut. Image: Backpagepix Meanwhile, Relebohile Mofokeng is another Bafana Bafana star being linked with a move to Europe, speculation further fuelled by his father, who believes now is the time for his son to flock South Africa. 'My biggest wish is to see Rele overseas in 2025/2026. I'm praying every day. I don't want to see him in the Betway Premiership again this season. I know God will answer my prayers,' Sechaba said. [Whether it's in] Spain, England, Netherlands, France, Denmark, Switzerland — Rele can play. I believe that with all my heart. Take him to Barcelona? He can play. PSG? He can play. Any country. I'll be happy — but not Saudi Arabia.' 'Not yet. He's still young. He needs to compete in UEFA competitions. If he goes to Saudi now, he won't experience that. Yes, he'd be rich — but happiness is more important. You can have all the money in the world, but if you're not happy, it's worthless.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

TimesLIVE
2 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
With Euro teams feeling heat in the US, are Dortmund vulnerable against Sundowns?
Mamelodi Sundowns meet a Borussia Dortmund at the Club World Cup who were not their best selves in the 2024-2025 season, though clashing against a mildly off-pale version of the Bundesliga giants is still a formidable undertaking. Sundowns meet Borussia in their second Group F clash at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday (noon Ohio time, 6pm SA time). Downs got off to the best start in the new 32-team format of the Fifa Club World Cup (CWC) in the US, beating Ulsan HD of South Korea 1-0 in Orlando on Tuesday night. Borussia were a little flat, being the less convincing side of a 0-0 draw against Fluminense in New Jersey, though that was one of the matches played in noon heat to hit prime time for European TV audiences. Still, there is a sense that while there have been big score mismatches between giants and minnows at the 2025 CWC, perhaps the European teams are less enthusiastic about the huge prize-money expanded event. The increase from seven teams is controversial, as it adds more games to an already packed calendar for the world's top players, especially in Europe. Iqraam Rayners takes his scoring form to the FIFA #CWC2025 ⚽🎯 Watch the FIFA #CWC2025 live in various language options on SuperSport 🗣️🎙️ 📺 Stream #FIFACWC on DStv: #SSFootball | @DAZNFootball — SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) June 18, 2025 Some of the results indicate as much — Real Madrid were held to a draw by Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal and Inter Miami, albeit with Lionel Messi in their ranks, beat FC Porto on Thursday night. In contrast, the far less rich South American teams, especially from Brazil, whose four clubs remain unbeaten, seem up for fighting for a share of the staggering $1bn (R18.03bn) prize pot and not so put off by the midsummer US heat. Botafogo provided a third upset at the CWC, stunning European champions Paris Saint-Germain — a team almost unbeatable in the second half of last season — on Thursday. Sundowns would love to provide the fourth upset of the tournament with a win or draw on Saturday. They might just have a sniff at that. 🤌🤌🤌 — Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) June 18, 2025 For one, Downs are boosted by having become the first African team to win in the US. The result might have been against the other minnows of Group F, but Sundowns lost twice against Asian clubs at their only other CWC in Japan in 2016 — 2-0 against Kashima Antlers and 4-1 against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. So the Pretoria side can take their opening result as evidence their years of striving to be competitive in the Caf Champions League for almost a decade since Osaka 2016 has hardened them in international competition. The match is again at noon for Borussia (Downs' opener against Ulsan was played at 7pm Florida time, 1am in SA). Though Sundowns went to the US from the South African winter, they are accustomed to hot conditions as the Premier Soccer League is played through an African midsummer. Coach Miguel Cardoso's Brazilians might try to exploit the conditions. And perhaps there is a touch of vulnerability to this Dortmund. They had a poor 2024-25 Bundesliga campaign, though rallied from when third manager of the season Niko Kovac arrived in February, winning seven of their last eight games to end fourth and clinch a Champions League place. It says much of Dortmund's quality that they reached the 2024-25 Uefa Champions League semifinals. Again there is a hint of brittleness that they were dismantled 4-0 there, though admittedly to a quality team in Hansi Flick's resurgent young Spanish champions Barcelona. It should still be a mismatch on Saturday. Dortmund compete in one of the world's top four leagues in the Bundesliga and regularly challenge for honours in the Uefa Champions League, the world's toughest continental club competition. There are also plenty of world-class performers in Kovac's Borussia line-up. Three top Borussia Dortmund players Serhou Guirassy The towering 29-year-old Guinean striker was a threat against Fluminense, but he couldn't bury his chances, so he'll be determined to make amends against Sundowns. A marksman in peak form, he scored an impressive 21 goals from 30 Bundesliga outings in the 2024-2025 season, joint-second behind Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (26). The season before Guirassy was top scorer with 28 goals. He is a versatile striker admired for his physical strength, aerial ability and strong finishing, particularly in the box. He mainly plays as a traditional No 9, holding up the ball and linking play. Karim Adeyemi Adeyemi was arguably Dortmund's best player against Fluminense, penetrating through the left flank. The 23-year-old German right winger scored seven goals and managed six assists in the Bundesliga campaign. Adeyemi is a speedy and direct attacker known for his dribbling and finishing abilities. He excels in counterattacking situations and can play as a centre-forward and second striker, though he's primarily a winger. Adeyemi's ambidextrous nature and skill taking on defenders makes him a dangerous man, especially in one-on-one situations. Marcel Sabitzer Sabitzer, 31, is one of the most experienced figures in the Dortmund squad, having played more than 400 Bundesliga games. The former Bayern Munich star is admired for his all-action style of play and the ability to contribute in multiple roles across the engine room.


Daily Maverick
2 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Club World Cup organisers hopeful of a change in fortunes after stuttering start
The first round of the Club World Cup's group matches recently concluded, with the poor attendance of some clashes catching the eye more than the actual soccer. The previous iteration of the Club World Cup (which featured just seven teams) was seen as an afterthought and a lucrative distraction, rather than a title stacked in prestige. By spearheading the birth of this new version of the Club World Cup, Fifa president Gianni Infantino is hoping that he can be forever etched in the history books as a soccer revolutionary – not just another sports administrator. So far, this quest has proven to be a bit bumpy, after an indifferent start to a US-hosted tournament. Issues such as low attendance for some games, as well as scorching summer heat in the host country, have diluted the impact of the revamped tournament. While some matches have been able to draw substantial crowds, other clashes have seen substandard attendance. Considering that the US is not a soccer-crazy nation — with the citizens of the country preferring their own sports (such as basketball and baseball) — it is hardly surprising. Not to mention that even those who do follow soccer in the US will not be acquainted with some of the 32 teams present at the World Cup, save for those who come from Europe. Empty seats For example, the best-attended match to date featured two European teams — newly crowned continental champions Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid. In the end, the clash was not as competitive as the 80,000-strong crowd that filled the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles would have expected. The Parisians pummelled Atlético 4-0. The lowest attendance at a match in the first round of the group was the tie between South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan of South Korea. This contest — which Sundowns won 1-0 — featured just over 3,000 spectators at the Inter & Co Stadium in Florida. According to Fifa the first round of matches at the World Cup averaged 34,773 spectators per match. This is far from being a horrendous return. But the fact that the venues that have been chosen to host the matches are mostly large in capacity has not helped Fifa's cause. England's Chelsea, who qualified for the World Cup because of their 2021 European Champions League triumph, beat Los Angeles 2-0 in the pair's opening match. However, well over half of the seats at the 75,000-seater Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta were not occupied. This is something Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca branded as 'strange' for his team. 'The environment was a bit strange, the stadium was almost empty, not full,' Maresca said. 'We are professional, we have to adapt to the situation, to the environment… The behaviour and the attitude of the players is important (in such situations) and once again they showed how professional they are.' Early days Maresca's Los Angeles counterpart Steve Cherundolo said that while the poor attendance for most matches in the first round was far from satisfactory, it was too early in the history of the expanded World Cup to sound the death knell on overall interest in the tournament. 'Regarding crowds… It's kind of different each game you look at. So, we should be talking about this right now,' Cherundolo stated. 'We should wait until the end of the tournament… (so that we can have) an opinion about it as a whole, as opposed to a few games.' The rejigged showpiece — which has moved from being an annual competition to being one that will take place every four years — is taking place with a background of some political tension, both in the US and globally. Political impact Since the re-election of president Donald Trump in 2024 the US has adopted a controversial foreign policy. This has been characterised by the deportation of migrants and stricter criteria for awarding visas to visitors. Supporters from other countries interested in attending the event might have been put off by these two factors in particular. Nevertheless, Fifa has said about 1.5-million tickets have been sold for the Club World Cup, which also serves as precursor for the national World Cup next year. That one will be hosted by the US, alongside Mexico and Canada. One major concern for Fifa will be the weather conditions in the US summer, especially before next year's World Cup. A few teams have lamented the heat of the US summer, with some matches kicking off in the afternoon — while temperatures are still high. 'Playing in this heat is impossible,' Atlético's Marcos Llorente lamented. 'The heat is terrible. My toes hurt, even my toenails. It's unbelievable, but since it's the same for everyone there's no point complaining.' The organisers have mandated water breaks in matches because of the scorching temperatures. However, some matches have also been disrupted by thunder storms. The organisers of the World Cup are still hopeful that the tide will turn as the tournament progresses, especially in the knockout phase. DM