Club World Cup showdown: Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso expects top performance against Fluminense
ON THE VERGE OF HISTORY Mamelodi Sundowns and coach Miguel Cardoso aims for a historic Club World Cup feat with a must-win clash against Fluminense in their final Group F fixture on Wednesday. Picture: Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP
Image: Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso will be expecting nothing less than another strong performance against Brazilian outfit Fluminense in their final Club World Cup group fixture on Wednesday.
Kick-off in the Group F clash is 9pm (SA time) at the Hard Rock Stadium, Florida, USA.
Sundowns pushed German giants Borussia Dortmund right until the final whistle on Saturday, eventually going down 4-3 in a high-scoring affair. In sweltering conditions over the 30-degree mark, Sundowns were down 4-1 when they mounted a strong comeback.
Fluminense currently top the group with four points, with Dortmund behind only on goal difference. Sundowns are third with three points, with Ulsan Hyundai on zero after two losses.
Sundowns Face Tough Challenge in Club World Cup: A Historic Opportunity Awaits
“It’s a very competitive team led by a very strong coach, coming from a continent where club football in the last 10 years has made a big jump, where the level of the game and the intensity has increased a lot in the last years,” said Cardoso ahead of the clash.
“So I expect a very tough opponent, for sure. But again, I will appeal to us to be ourselves, to be aggressive, to enjoy, to have pleasure, because without those things, you cannot play our football. If we put ourselves on that level, we can compete.”
Only the top two teams will advance from the group; therefore, assuming Dortmund beat Ulsan in their final fixture, Sundowns will have no option but to beat Fluminense.
If Sundowns do make it out of their group, it will be the first time a South African team has achieved the feat at the Club World Cup.