Mamelodi Sundowns forward Arthur Sales says he was enticed to join the club for the FIFA Club World Cup and a ‘serious’ project laid out to him.
Sundowns forked out a reported transfer in excess of R60-million to lure the 22-year-old Brazilian to Chloorkop from Belgian club SK Lommel which was met with mixed reception.
- ALSO READ: Breaking: Sundowns Announce Major Partnership
- Sundowns Star Targets KO Stages Of Club World Cup
While there were initial doubts whether the investment would pay off, Sales has come to the fore with impressive form, scoring eight goals with eight assists in 18 league games, with only seven starts in those 18 games.
And he bagged a brace coming from the bench as they won the league this week with a 3-0 win over Chippa United.
“I’m very happy, it’s my first [league title] it’s different, I’m very happy and very proud with my team, I think now I’m just happy and proud, it’s my first league title as a professional,” Sales said on Radio2000 on the Thabiso Mosia show.
“My first objective [coming to Sundowns] was to play FIFA Club World Cup, it’s a good project, a serious one, with Mr Flemming [Berg], and I wanted to play in this Club World Cup – it was my ambition.”
Sales is now closing in on a year in the country and he admits the lifestyle is better than what he expected based on the perceptions created abroad.
“I spoke one or two times to the other guys about South Africa, I was very surprised when I arrived here, the way people perceive outside is different, it’s an amazing country, beautiful, top infrastructure and facilities where people can enjoy life outside of football. When I arrived here at Sundowns it was my first time in Africa,” he said.
Having played his football in Brazil with Vasco da Gama, before stints in Portugal and Belgium, Sales says football is very similar in his homeland, except that the league is perhaps more competitive for silverware, with not much of a financial disparity between clubs in the top-flight.
“The football… [compared to Brazil], they have 20 teams and it’s very competitive for the title, the tactics and football is different, the culture is very close to Brazil, happy people, enjoying their lives, they always smiling, very similar to Brazil – people are warm and very happy,” he continued.
“The difference in Brazilian football, when the league starts you don’t know who will win the league, but in South Africa – maybe two or three clubs who can compete, in terms of skill of players, both countries has this good dribbling but the difference in Brazil the opponent in South Africa, people stand and watch you dribble, in Brazil they will close you down and tackle, they will attack you for doing such dribbling.”
