“Sundowns preparing feverishly to participate in FIFA Club World Cup” – Miguel Cardoso

Photo Courtesy Mamelodi Sundowns.

Head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns Miguel Cardoso has indicated that, the club is putting in a lot of work in preparedness for their second appearance at the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA in June this year.

The Brazilians last played in this tournament in 2017 after they had been crowned African champions in 2016 under native coach, Pitso Mosimane. The tournament in June is an expanded one with 32 teams taking part, including four from Africa: Sundowns, Al Ahly, Esperance and Wydad Athletic.

The experienced trainer was speaking after the club received the Club World Cup trophy which is on tour in South Africa. “You might not believe it, but I've just come out from a meeting where we were discussing the FIFA Club World Cup regarding the approach we'll take in terms of trips and matches.

“The club is working hard in the background on everything,” he said. “Basically, at the moment we have everything (in place), regarding the World Cup of clubs. We'll decide whether we can have friendly matches or not, but I know there will not be a lot of time between the end of the championship (and the start of the tournament).

“If we make the final of the Champions League (June 1) it will be after one week that we go to the US.” Miguel Cardoso also touched on the numerous fixtures and the effect it will have on the playing body in the long run. “I understand the worries of the coaches in general, mostly the ones from the big European teams because they play Champions League games until the end of the season.

“They will have important qualification matches for their national teams after they finish their domestic calendar and after that go to the World Cup of clubs and then after that they'll start the following season.

“It's not a matter of being useless when the coaches speak about the Club World Cup, it's to understand that they have such fixtures and it has an impact on the performance of the players in the following season.

“That can harm the players in terms of injuries and the volume of work the players have to carry. For ourselves, obviously we'll have a very congested fixture. We're having it this season and we'll have it for sure in the following one.

“But these players will need vacation because vacation is the moment also when the players rest themselves not only physically but emotionally. “We have to give time to the players for this, otherwise they'll also not perform in the right way and may have injuries. When you get injuries not only the club suffers but the national team as well.

“That's the question on the table but for us we represent South Africa and of course it's an opportunity for us to meet teams that geographically are far away from us. “It's an opportunity for us to express the quality of football that we have in Africa that everybody worldwide knows, but we have to show that we can compete with the big teams.

“Let's hope we do it in the right way and also that we arrive in a proper manner because also this season will be tough for us. If we arrive having played in the latter stages of the Champions League, it will even be worse.

“Let's see if we can arrive at the right moment so that we can represent the continent in the right way.”

Sundowns are paired against South Korean club Ulsan HD, German giants Borussia Dortmund and Brazilian powerhouse Fluminense FC. They were big winners on Saturday, pummeling Orlando Pirates by 4-1 at home in their week 15 fixture and 14 for Pirates.