Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac has shared his impressions on South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns following their Group F encounter in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday.
The Bundesliga giants had to dig deep to secure a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Sundowns in a competitive match at the TQL Stadium in Ohio.
As a result of the defeat, the Betway Premiership champions, Sundowns, will now have to beat Brazilian side Fluminense to advance to the knockout stages. A draw for Dortmund against Ulsan HD of South Korea will be enough to see them through.
Ribeiro Costa opened the scoring for Sundowns early in the first-half before the German side equalised following a blunder by goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. The Germans scored two more goals in the half before Khuliso Mudau’s own goal. Iqraam Rayners and Lebo Mothiba netted in the second-half although it was too late for a comeback.
WHAT BORUSSIA DORTMUND COACH SAID ABOUT MAMELODI SUNDOWNS’ QUALITIES
Following the match, Kovac lauded Sundowns, highlighting their technical proficiency and their commitment to playing attractive, possession-based football. He described them as a “well-educated” team in terms of their on-field execution and strategic approach.
“As I said in the previous press conference, I was not lying, I said what I saw, Sundowns it’s a football team that likes to play football very well, an educated game, I would say,” he said.
“And you see that the Portuguese head coach [Miguel Cardoso] turns to play this game and it’s easy to say on paper we are the favourites, yes, but you must first play the game.
“This is what happened and we saw how hard it was and I’m convinced that the next game from Sundowns will also be very tight.”
NIKO KOVAC PREDICTS A TOUGH BATTLE IN THE LAST MATCH OF THE FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP
“I know Fluminense is a good team too, but from my point of view, Sundowns can also challenge them and see what will happen in the game.”
Despite an impressive display on the day, Sundowns suffered their first defeat of the competition. Their next match will be on Wednesday, 25 June at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
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