Nigeria legend Jay-Jay Okocha believes the four African teams, including Mamelodi Sundowns, should take the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as a learning curve.
Masandawana are one of the four African teams who qualified for the newly-invented tournament and have already secured R174 million ($9.55 million) in participation fees.
With Sundowns drawn in Group F alongside Fluminense, Ulsan HD and Borussia Dortmund, Okocha was speaking about the tournament during the Bundesliga Media Visit in Germany.
When asked what the South African champions should expect from their clash with the Bundesliga side, Okocha admitted all four African teams should enter the tournament without expecting too much.
“I think I wouldn’t be going there with much expectations because it’s really the first time,” he said.
“And it’s all about us [Africans] testing ourselves, find out where we are in world football.
“But I think that experience will help us to grow our leagues [in Africa].
“I think we just have to go there and enjoy, try the best that we can be, and bring the experience back home and try to build.”
Sundowns kick off their tournament on 17 June against Ulsan, before facing Dortmund on 21 June, and finishing off the group stages against Fluminence on 25 June.
