CINCINNATI, OH (Reuters) -South African club Mamelodi Sundowns are hoping a perfect storm on Saturday hands them a chance of success against heavily fancied Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund when the two meet at the Club World Cup.
Sundowns, who were runners-up in the African Champions League earlier this month, sit on top of Group F after beating South Korean side Ulsan HD 1-0 in their opening game but expect to be on the back foot for Saturday’s clash at the TQL Stadium.
For coach Miguel Cardoso, however, an upset result is possible even if the odds are slim.
“Upsets can happen when the mental conviction of the team is strong and their emotional connection is so strong that magic can happen,” he told a press conference on Friday.
“And that's what I will try to create as an ambiance in the team; ambition, conviction, determination and the right emotion to play such a game and produce a good result.”
But Cardoso expects that his side, who enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in a dominant performance in their opening game, will not see much of the ball.
“We're going to play against a team that is very aggressive. It's a team that scores 40% of their goals from counter pressings.”
It will be an unusual situation for Sundowns, who dominate their domestic competition with a possession-heavy approach and are also a strong force in African continental competition.
“We won’t be used to not having the ball much and obviously that will require us to be resilient and keep organised, even when you are just waiting for the moment to get the ball again,” Cardoso added.
Sundowns are the only African side with a win at the tournament.
“We are very proud of that. What has happened now is that we have opened up a chance for ourselves and turned dreams into objectives," said Cardoso.
“But we know what we have ahead and it won’t be easy.”
Sundowns’ last group game will be against Brazilian side Fluminense next Wednesday.
(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
