Lebo Mothiba's CAF Champions League final appearance came as a huge surprise for many. And, of course, things did not go the way head coach Miguel Cardoso would have wanted.
It's all in the past now, but Mothiba now has an opportunity to start writing his Sundowns story and it comes on a platform he would probably thrive in, against opposition at a level he has played at.
Mothiba spent nine years playing for different clubs in France and was highly rated during his time there and there is no better stage than the Club World Cup for him to start endearing himself to the Masandawana faithful.
It's at this Club World Cup that the big striker can use the experience he has gained to play a key role in leading the Tshwane giants to the knockout phase of the 32-team competition.
And here's why Mothiba could have an impact in the team during the competition, which starts this weekend. One, he is totally different to the strikers they have in the team, Peter Shalulile and Iqraam Rayners, and this means Cardoso can play a system to suit Mothiba when Sundowns desperately need a goal.
While Shalulile and Rayners are mobile strikers who can use their movement to unsettle opposition defenders, Mothiba is a box striker with the type of physique to bulldoze his way to goal. It's a different approach that Cardoso could use whenever he feels a need to make changes to the team.
The Club World Cup is certainly the right platform for the striker to finally settle in at Sundowns and prepare himself for next season, as Sundowns try yet again to get their hands on the Champions League title.
