How Mamelodi Sundowns can defeat Fluminense at Club World Cup
NOW OR NEVER Sundowns' South African forward Lebo Mothiba (C) celebrates with Sundowns' Chilean forward Marcelo Allende (R) after scoring his team's third goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group F football match against Germany's Borussia Dortmund at the TQL stadium in Cincinnati on June 21, 2025. Picture: Federico Parra/AFP
Image: Federico Parra/AFP
Mamelodi Sundowns will need nothing less than a win against Fluminense in their final Club World Cup Group F match on Wednesday evening, and former Brazilians player Thokozani Mnguni believes there is a good chance that the SA side can spring another surprise.
Sundowns nearly pulled off one of the biggest shocks at the Club World Cup when they went down 4-3 to German giants Borussia Dortmund last week.
The result, though, meant the odds will be stacked against the Betway Premiership champions advancing.
Mnguni said Sundowns would have simply had to be faster in their passing to overcome Fluminense.
Sundowns’ Build-Up Strategy and Challenges Against Fluminense
Characteristically, Sundowns build up from the back. With that in mind, there’s that factor of risk and mistakes that come with that style of play. That was bound to happen at some point,” Mnguni told SportsBoom.co.za.
“Against Dortmund, they were punished for those mistakes because these European and South American teams have a high level of pressing and counter-pressing factor in their game. These teams are very physical.
“With regard to Mamelodi Sundowns and how they need to approach this game against Fluminense, they need to be a lot quicker in passing; that way, they will easily break away from this team. At the same time, they are too slow. So, Sundowns only need to pass the ball much quicker. I think it will work for them against Italy.”
Fluminense currently top the group with four points on a goal difference of two. Borussia Dortmund are second with the same number of points, but with a goal difference of one.
Meanwhile, Sundowns are third with three points. Ulsan are still without a point after two defeats.
With Dortmund taking on Ulsan at the same time as the Sundowns game, it’s expected that the German Giants will be too strong for the South Korean outfit.
It therefore means that the only way Sundowns can go through is with a win against the much-fancied Fluminense from Brazil.