Miguel Cardoso, the coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, has lavished his team with praise after the team put up a valiant fight to defeat Ulsan Hyundai FC 1-0 in their Fifa Club World Cup opening match.
The Inter & Company Stadium in Orlando, USA, hosted the match early on Wednesday.
Iqraam Rayners scored a beautiful goal in the 36th minute to give the Brazilians victory in the first Group F match of this prestigious tournament.
“The players positively responded to our strategic planning ahead of the game, scoring in the first half,” said Cardoso.
“They continued to search for the second goal to avoid the pressure of conceding a goal, which could have put us under pressure.
“Now that we’ve completed the opening match, the focus shifts to our upcoming second match.”
Cardoso cautioned the players not to overindulge in Wednesday’s victory due to the pressure ahead.
R32.5m reward up for grabs
Sundowns’ players should be encouraged to perform well against their rivals, including Germany’s Borussia Dortmund and Brazil’s Fluminense FC, in light of the R32.5-million reward offered to the team that wins the tournament.
The Brazilians faced one of the most formidable opponents in Ulsan, a Korean football team that is a dominant force in its own nation and is participating in this tournament for the second time.
Ulsan have established themselves as the most renowned professional football team in Korea by winning the K-League championship five times, the Korea Cup seven times, and the AFC Asian Champions League three times.
Sundowns, one of the four African clubs to qualify for this 32-team competition, will play Dortmund on Saturday at the QTL Stadium in Cincinnati.
They have the highest ranking following their success at the CAF Championships.
