The head coach of Borussia Dortmund has claimed that he is mindful of the challenge a team like Mamelodi Sundowns will pose at the FIFA Club World Cup.
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For the first time in their history at the global spectacle, Masandawana will face European opposition when they travel to the United States of America. Ka Bo Yellow played in their first — and only, Club World Cup in 2016 after winning the CAF Champions League, but suffered a comprehensive 4-1 defeat to Jeonbuk Hyundai.
Almost a decade after that experience in Japan, the club’s cumulative appearances in the latter stages of the Champions League have prepared them to compete in the newly expanded iteration of the competition. They will be coming up against Korean opponents once again in Ulsan HD, Brazilian giants Fluminense and, perhaps most formidably, Bundesliga titans Borussia Dortmund.
BVB boss Niko Kovač claims that he does not expect an easy encounter against Sundowns and knows Miguel Cardoso’s charges will not just be there to make up the numbers.
“We know that the other two teams (Sundowns & Ulsan) won’t be treating it like a holiday. They’ll want to make their mark. We’ll have to be professional and respectful to achieve our targets,” the Croat said while speaking to FIFA’s official website.
While the former Bayern Munich manager has stated that he appreciates the threats posed by a club like Sundowns, the 53-year-old expects his team and Fluminense to be the ones to progress from the group.
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“Brazilian teams are always top-class, and Fluminense have been very successful, so they should be considered favourites to progress from the group alongside us,” he added.
