Mamelodi Sundowns suffer heartbreak after early exit at the Club World Cup

by Sergio Miller

The journey for the Tshwane-based team at this year’s prestigious FIFA Club World Cup has now officially come to an end. 

On Wednesday, Mamelodi Sundowns played their final game of the tournament in what appeared to be a frustrating day for the South Africans. This comes after a 0-0 draw against the Brazilian team, Fluminense. 

The team playing in blue and gold was among the most talked about teams ahead of this year’s tournament, with several football fanatics earmarking them as favourites to succeed past the group stages. 

They, meanwhile, managed to live up to the expectation in their first match of the competition, showing cohesion and outstanding attacking flair during vital moments in their opening match against Ulsan from South Korea, securing a 1-0 victory in the process. 

This was then matched in their second game against German football giants, Borussia Dortmund, over the weekend, where there were moments of bravery in which they put defenders under pressure, but simply fell short by the time the final whistle was blown, ending the match in a 4-3 defeat. 

Regardless of the outcome, most continued to believe that their ability to keep a under immense pressure was a sign of great things to come which resulted in all eyes turning to the third game against Fluminense where they needed a victory to advance. 

Despite the frustration shown during the match, the CAF finalists showed outstanding sportsmanship and ended the match in good spirits. 

Also see:Lucas Rubiero leads Mamelodi Sundowns to first FIFA Club World Cup victory