Latest news with #Sundowns
The Star
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Mamelodi Sundowns hope for upset in key clash against Borussia Dortmund
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group F - Ulsan HD v Mamelodi Sundowns - Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida, U.S. - June 17, 2025 Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso after the match IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Nathan Ray Seebeck/File Photo CINCINNATI, OH (Reuters) -South African club Mamelodi Sundowns are hoping a perfect storm on Saturday hands them a chance of success against heavily fancied Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund when the two meet at the Club World Cup. Sundowns, who were runners-up in the African Champions League earlier this month, sit on top of Group F after beating South Korean side Ulsan HD 1-0 in their opening game but expect to be on the back foot for Saturday's clash at the TQL Stadium. For coach Miguel Cardoso, however, an upset result is possible even if the odds are slim. 'Upsets can happen when the mental conviction of the team is strong and their emotional connection is so strong that magic can happen,' he told a press conference on Friday. 'And that's what I will try to create as an ambiance in the team; ambition, conviction, determination and the right emotion to play such a game and produce a good result.' But Cardoso expects that his side, who enjoyed the lion's share of possession in a dominant performance in their opening game, will not see much of the ball. 'We're going to play against a team that is very aggressive. It's a team that scores 40% of their goals from counter pressings.' It will be an unusual situation for Sundowns, who dominate their domestic competition with a possession-heavy approach and are also a strong force in African continental competition. 'We won't be used to not having the ball much and obviously that will require us to be resilient and keep organised, even when you are just waiting for the moment to get the ball again,' Cardoso added. Sundowns are the only African side with a win at the tournament. 'We are very proud of that. What has happened now is that we have opened up a chance for ourselves and turned dreams into objectives," said Cardoso. 'But we know what we have ahead and it won't be easy.' Sundowns' last group game will be against Brazilian side Fluminense next Wednesday. (Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Soccer-Mamelodi Sundowns hope for upset in key clash against Borussia Dortmund
By Mark Gleeson HT Image CINCINNATI, OH, June 20 (Reuters) - South African club Mamelodi Sundowns are hoping a perfect storm on Saturday hands them a chance of success against heavily fancied Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund when the two meet at the Club World Cup. Sundowns, who were runners-up in the African Champions League earlier this month, sit on top of Group F after beating South Korean side Ulsan HD 1-0 in their opening game but expect to be on the back foot for Saturday's clash at the TQL Stadium. For coach Miguel Cardoso, however, an upset result is possible even if the odds are slim. 'Upsets can happen when the mental conviction of the team is strong and their emotional connection is so strong that magic can happen,' he told a press conference on Friday. 'And that's what I will try to create as an ambiance in the team; ambition, conviction, determination and the right emotion to play such a game and produce a good result.' But Cardoso expects that his side, who enjoyed the lion's share of possession in a dominant performance in their opening game, will not see much of the ball. 'We're going to play against a team that is very aggressive. It's a team that scores 40% of their goals from counter pressings.' It will be an unusual situation for Sundowns, who dominate their domestic competition with a possession-heavy approach and are also a strong force in African continental competition. 'We won't be used to not having the ball much and obviously that will require us to be resilient and keep organised, even when you are just waiting for the moment to get the ball again,' Cardoso added. Sundowns are the only African side with a win at the tournament. 'We are very proud of that. What has happened now is that we have opened up a chance for ourselves and turned dreams into objectives," said Cardoso. 'But we know what we have ahead and it won't be easy.' Sundowns' last group game will be against Brazilian side Fluminense next Wednesday. (Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
The South African
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The South African
Another one! DJ Khaled backs Sundowns for Club World Cup win
DJ Khaled is backing Mamelodi Sundowns for another victory at their second Fifa Club World Cup game this weekend. The South African team will take on Germany's Dortmund on Saturday, 21 June. Earlier this week, the 'Brazilians' beat South Korea's Ulsan 1-0. Can they claim another victory and make it out of the group stages? In a video posted by Roc Nation, DJ Khaled showed love to South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns, who are playing at the Fifa Club World Cup, currently taking place in the US. The music producer – who is signed to Roc Nation, and has a notable role in their sporting company – had a special message for the local club. 'Sundowns, congratulations on your big one. Another one, again. Let's go!'. The post was liked by over 50 000 Instagram users, with Springbok captain Siya Kolisi being one of them. The music mogul – real name Khaled Mohammed Khaled – is a longtime supporter of the 'Brazilians', as part of his affiliation with club sponsor, Roc Nation. However, many South Africans doubt whether he personally knows any of the Sundowns players. It remains unclear if DJ Khaled will be watching from the stands to support the South African team. On the same day Sundowns beat Ulsan at an empty Orlando Stadium, the US superstar flew to the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida to watch another team – Real Madrid – play instead. The father-of-two thanked club player Vinicius Junior and Roc Nation Sports international president Michael R. Yormark for inviting him. 'Let's go play soccer', he said of the VIP experience. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) Sundowns are part of the Club World Cup's Group F, which also includes Brazil's Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund of Germany. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout phase, which consists of the Top 16, quarter-final, semi-final, and ultimately the final, which will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New York on 13 July. On Saturday, 21 June, Mamelodi Sundowns will play German club Dortmund. On 25 June, they will face off against Brazilian club Fluminense. 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
10 hours ago
- Sport
- 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.
The Citizen
12 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Sundowns receive high praise from ex-Dortmund star
'If Sundowns can take care of Dortmund's attack ... then there's an opportunity for them to win this game,' said the former Bafana and Dortmund winger. Delron Buckley believes Mamelodi Sundowns will give a good account of themselves against Borussia Dortmund at the Fifa Club World Cup on Saturday. Picture: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix Former Borussia Dortmund winger Delron Buckley believes Mamelodi Sundowns have what it takes to pull off a surprise result when they face the German giants in the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday. ALSO READ: PSG stun Botafogo after Messi lights up Club World Cup Dortmund were held to a goalless draw by Fluminense in their tournament opener, but the Bundesliga side remain firm favourites going into the crucial Group F clash at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati. Sundowns lead Group F Buckley, who spent four seasons with Dortmund between 2005 and 2009, has backed the South African champions to rise to the occasion. Sundowns currently lead the group with three points after edging Ulsan HD 1-0 in a tightly contested encounter on Wednesday. Sundowns will be eager to build on their strong start and secure a result that could see them progress to the next round — and Buckley is confident they can rise to the challenge. 'Not up to standard' 'When I watched the game Dortmund (against Fluminense), they were not up to standard. They didn't play the football that we know them for,' Buckley said on Radio 2000. 'You must also take note that Fluminense are also a good team and they are not a team that you are just going to walk over. I could see that Dortmund were taking strain and as the coach said that the heat was taking its toll on the players because they are not used to playing in those weather conditions in Germany. 'When they have their Bundesliga season, it's cold and it's raining. This is why I believe that Sundowns will have a chance to probably pocket three points because Sundowns are used to playing in such weather conditions. 'When I saw them (Sundowns) playing and the way they were running with (Teboho) Mokoena in the middle and (Themba) Zwane, they were running non-stop for 90 minutes in that kind of weather.' 'That is because they are used to it and if Sundowns can take care of Dortmund's attack because they have quick players up front. If they can just deal with that, then there's an opportunity for them to win this game.' The former Bafana Bafana international enjoyed a long spell in Germany, featuring for clubs including VfL Bochum, Arminia Bielefeld, Mainz 05, and Karlsruher SC. He also represented South Africa at the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups. Buckley believes the quality within the Sundowns squad, combined with their tactical discipline, means they could compete in top European leagues. 'A different level' 'Sundowns are a kind of team that has progressed in the past years and the football they are playing is on a different level. I don't think there's another club in South Africa that plays top attractive football,' Buckley concluded. 'I think the way they are playing, they can compete in the Bundesliga. When I said the level here in South Africa is third division in Germany, I didn't mean the team because if you see Sundowns when they play in the champions league, they compete on such a high level. 'The football they play is so attractive to watch that you can take Sundowns and put them in the Bundesliga or maybe Spain, and they will compete and do well. On the other hand, it's not a coincidence because it boils down to finances. ALSO READ: Lunga unfazed by underdog tag ahead of Dortmund clash 'If you have the money to buy players, if you have the finances to run a team properly and have scouts to fly to Brazil to watch training sessions and come back to implement it at Sundowns, then you are going to be a top successful team.'
