Mamelodi Sundowns flew out to the United States for their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with the expanded 32-team tournament set to take place between June 14 and July 13.
Sundowns will begin their campaign on June 18 against Ulsan before matches against Borussia Dortmund (June 21) and Fluminense on June 25 looking to impress.
The Brazilians have in their squad some of the best players from Africa and will be hoping that they show their true qualities on the global stage. Here are five Sundowns players to watch at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Ronwen Williams
The reigning African goalkeeper of the Year and 2024 Ballon d’Or nominee has been a safe pair of hands for Sundowns a number of years and will be relied upon yet again at the Club World Cup.
Many believe Williams should be playing for a European club and this is his best opportunity to prove to the world that indeed that is true.
Teboho Mokoena
Another Sundowns player who is seen as Europe material is central midfielder Teboho Mokoena, an ever-reliable figure both for club and country.
Mokoena brings calmness in midfield, protects the defence and is the man who sets the tempo of the game for the Brazilians. He is also an asset on set-pieces due to his great freekick-taking skills.
Lucas Ribeiro
A Brazilian playing for the Brazilians, Lucas Ribeiro is the PSL Player of the Year in waiting and the numbers suggest Sundowns would not hit the heights they have managed without him.
The playmaker has 33 goal involvements in 48 games this season, after netting 20, 16 in the league, while providing 13 assists, and he will be a big problem for opposition defences at the Club World Cup given he can play out wide, behind the striker and is deadly in half spaces.
Themba Zwane
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is still receiving backlash for keeping Themba Zwane on the bench during the CAF Champions League final loss, which shows how highly ‘Mshishi’ is regarded.
The leader of the team, Zwane returned from a long-term injury in April and has had few minutes as Cardoso eases him back to the team.
However, whether he is starting or getting 20 minutes, Zwane’s football brain allows him to change the course of the game in a flash with one pass as his vision and decision-making allows those around him to flourish, added to his vast experience, something that will be needed in plenty.
Iqraam Rayners
Only Lucas Ribeiro denied him the PSL Golden Boot Award, having scored 14 league goals, two short of the Brazilian, but the striker has enjoyed a stellar first season at Chloorkop since moving from Stellenbosch last September.
Rayners is good at exploiting space, can lead the line while his ability to play across any position up front makes him hard to mark, which has yielded 22 goals and nine assists in 44 matches in his debut season at Sundowns.
