Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has revealed the club are targeting to partake in the extended 32-team FIFA Club World Cup after advancing to the quarter-finals of CAF Champions League.
With two African spots already taken by recent winners Al Ahly SC and Wydad Athletic Club, Sundowns aim to also have a place at the extended CWC that will be hosted in United States in June 2025.
Downs could see themselves making it to the tournament, if they can win this year’s CAFCL or finish highest in the rankings that were recently released.
Mokwena emphasised how important it is for the club to make it to the Club World Cup, especially as they are regarded as one of the best teams on the African continent.
“It’s the club’s ambition, the club wants to not only be one of the best clubs in the African continent but of course [also] from a global perspective and the reach is unbelievable.,” Mokwena said after his side’s 1-0 win over TP Mazembe.
“I spent some time in Brazil in the off-season and during the break in early parts of January, what we’ve done is incredible, you go to Brazil [and] they speak, ‘Ow! You are the Sundowns coac’h.
“The first thing they talk about is the type of football we’re playing at almost every single club. You go to Flumenese, they ask ‘how do you get the team to play like that?’ You go to Flamingo, you go to Vasco, Botafogo and they say ‘unbelievable’. Yhey follow us, it’s incredible.
“If the team has that type reach only based on performances on the pitch you can just imagine we scale into the Club World Cup space how much potential does this football club have.
“So it’s the ambition of the club and it’s one we have to work very, very hard to try to reach but for sure with the quality that we have, the support we get from the club it’s a possibility for sure.”
Sundowns are currently the highest-ranked team other than Al Ahly and Wydad in the CAF rankings and if they can defend that place by the end of the current season, they will book their Club World Cup ticket via the rankinsg path.
If they would win this year’s CAF Champions League they would also automatically qualify via the champions path.
