South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns won their opening game at the Club World Cup on Tuesday as striker Iqraam Rayners netted the only goal in a 1-0 win over South Korea’s Ulsan HD.

The result put this month’s African Champions League runners-up top of Group F after Borussia Dortmund were held 0-0 by Fluminense earlier in the day.

It was also a first victory for an African side at the new-look 32-team tournament in the United States after Egypt’s Al Ahly drew their opener while Esperance of Tunisia lost to Flamengo on Monday.

Rayners’ goal came nine minutes before halftime at the Inter & Co Stadium in a match that was delayed by just over an hour due to the threat of lightning in central Florida.

The teams had come onto the pitch to start the match before French referee Clement Turpin ordered them back to the change rooms as a precaution.

Rayners had two other first-half strikes ruled out after VAR checks – one for handball and the other inches offside.

The effort which counted was a well-worked effort with Sundowns’ Brazilian playmaker Lucas Ribeiro slipping a pass through the Ulsan defence for the striker to poke into the net.

Sundowns could have been ahead inside the opening 20 seconds after some slick passing set up a chance for Ribeiro but his effort was blocked.

It set the tone for almost total dominance by Sundowns, who had more than 70% of possession, though their passing game was too pedestrian at times and they were wasteful in front of goal.

Ulsan looked for chances on the counter and had their best opportunity in the fourth minute after a quick break but the Korean club’s Brazilian forward Erick Farias missed with the goal at his mercy.

Ulsan were rarely on the front foot but did have two opportunities that Sundowns scrambled off the line.

-Reuters

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South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns will make their historic debut at the FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday.

They will face Asia’s Ulsan Hyundai. Head coach Miguel Cardoso described progression from Group F as “a huge achievement” for the Pretoria-based side.

The encounter, set for the Inter Milan Stadium, is the first of three stern tests awaiting Sundowns in what is widely regarded as the tournament’s toughest group. They are also slated to face German giants Borussia Dortmund and Copa Libertadores holders Fluminense, two of the most formidable sides in the expanded competition.

“We need to start by collecting points, and that will demand an exceptional performance in tomorrow’s match,” Cardoso said during his pre-match briefing.
“I expect the competition to be intense, but this is a valuable opportunity. We have to give our best and push beyond our limits.”

Sundowns qualified for the Club World Cup after a consistent run of strong performances in CAF competitions over the past four seasons. Although they recently fell short in the CAF Champions League final, losing narrowly to Pyramids FC, their accumulated coefficient points earned them one of Africa’s two slots at the global showpiece.

Cardoso, 53, a former head coach of Espérance de Tunis, believes the tournament provides his squad with the ideal platform to measure themselves against elite international opposition.

“I’m eager to see how we handle the challenge of playing against an Asian team, as well as facing top sides from Europe and South America. These are three completely different types of tests, and we must learn and compete in each one.”

The Portuguese tactician is expected to recall several key players returning from injury as they look to contain a dynamic Ulsan attack led by Korean international Joo Min-kyu.

A win in Tuesday’s opener would boost Sundowns’ chances of reaching the knockout stage, placing them on three points. However, a loss would leave them with the daunting task of needing results against both Dortmund and Fluminense to keep their hopes alive.

Yet beyond the arithmetic, Cardoso emphasized the importance of belief as the club aspires to cement its place on the global stage.

“Every team in this tournament believes it can qualify for the next round,” he said.
“For us, making it out of the group would be a massive step—and that’s our goal.”

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Flamengo began their Club World Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis in their Group D opener in Philadelphia on Monday thanks to goals from Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Luiz Araujo.

The Brazilian side dominated from start to finish on a chilly evening at a half-empty Lincoln Financial Field, with Esperance managing only two attempts on goal.

Flamengo opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Guillermo Varela surged down the right and delivered a pinpoint cross to Luiz Araujo, who cushioned the ball into the path of Arrascaeta to fire home.

Esperance struggled to get a foothold on the match, with Flamengo enjoying 80% possession, but they enjoyed their best moments after the break with Youcef Belaili providing a rare spark.

After curling a shot narrowly wide in the 63rd minute, Belaili forced Flamengo goalkeeper Augustin Rossi into a sharp save with a close-range effort five minutes later.

However, Flamengo quickly reasserted control to silence the lively Tunisian support behind the south goal and in the 70th minute they doubled their lead through Araujo.

Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Jorginho played an incisive through ball for Araujo to break the offside trap and after cutting inside he curled a precise left-footed strike into the bottom corner.

The win puts Flamengo level on points with Chelsea at the top of Group D, after the London club also secured a 2-0 victory over LAFC earlier in the day.

Flamengo and Chelsea meet on Friday in a match likely to determine the group winner.

-Reuters