The Club World Cup stage is set for Masandawana: How far will they go?

by Nomonde Simelane

The moment of truth has finally come and the Mamelodi Sundowns team as well as their supporters can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the fixtures for the highly anticipated FIFA Club World Cup set to take place in the United States have been released.

As only one out of four African teams set to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup next year alongside Wyadad(Morocco) Al Ahly (Egypt) and Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Pretoria-based Mamelodi Sundowns has the difficult task of showcasing and making a name for African football as the continent has often been left out of events of this calibre due to a lack of adequate development of players.

As one of the lowest-ranked teams out of 32 in total, it was inevitable for the Brazilians to be thrown into the deep end on their debut appearance on the Club World Cup stage.

Although each team can be regarded as strong in this tournament, Group F, which includes the likes of Dortmund (Germany), Flamengo (Brazil) Ulsan Hyundai (South Korea) and Mamelodi Sundowns has some notable contenders that might jeopardise any chances for Masandawana to advance in the tournament.

Despite this, Sundowns supporters and South Africans in general are not moved or shaken by the release of the fixture, rather they are now more confident than ever in their club’s chances at reaching at least the quarterfinals, while they are more than sure that they will be leaving the group stages victorious.

However, some fans have raised concerns about their coaching staff and revealed a need for reformation before taking off for the coveted competition if the team wants to fair well.

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