Club World Cup Preview: Mamelodi Sundowns

In partnership with

Hooligan Soccer

·11 June 2025

Club World Cup Preview: Mamelodi Sundowns

The twenty-fourth in our continuing series highlighting all thirty-two clubs in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. The event starts on Saturday, June 14th.

Club Background

From: Pretoria, South Africa
How They Qualified: Mamelodi qualified via the CAF ranking pathway. They (and Espérance) had the highest cumulative 4-year ranking, based on runners up performances at the CAF Champions League.
Best CWC Finish: This will be their second appearance. They finished sixth (aka last) in 2016.

Recent Form: Totally dominated the PSL (South African Premiership), finishing 12 points ahead of 2nd place Orlando Pirates. Lost to Pyramids F.C. in the 2025 CAF Champions League final 3 – 2 on aggregate. They only lost 4 games in the entire 24/25 season, in all competitions.
Facts: Founded in 1970. The team is 84% South African. The club has five South Americans (2 BRA & ARG, 1 CHI) and a Namibian. They are noted for an attacking style known locally as “Shoe Shine & Piano.” Stylistically it is similar to the tiki-taka play of Barcelona and the Spanish national team. They beat Esperance to qualify for the 2025 CAF Champions League final. Their home colors are very similar to Brazil (yellow top, blue shots and white socks).

The Team

Manager: Miguel Cardoso If this name seems familiar, that’s because Cardoso was the manager of Espérance de Tunis until last 2024. He lasted 10 months there. This guy has a track record of being fired; he was once canned three times in 12 months back in 2018-19.
Star Players: Peter Shalulile Namibian striker with 8g/1a. Lucas Ribeiro Brazilian forward with 14g/10a in 36 games. Iqraam Rayners South African striker and team leader with 16g/9a in 33 games. Arthur Sales Brazilian forward with 8g/8a.
Young Players: They have a handful of youngsters on the roster, such as forward Kutlwano Letlhaku (19), and defenders Asekho Tiwani (20) and Malibongwe Khoza (21). Don’t expect them to see much time.
Training Sites: IMG Academy, Bradenton, Florida

When to Watch

6:00pm ET on Jun 17, 2025 vs. Ulsan HD @ Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, FL
12:00pm ET on Jun 21, 2025 vs. Borussia Dortmund @ TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
3:00pm ET on Jun 25, 2025 vs. Fluminense @ Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL

The Hooligan Take

The author is unabashedly on the Mamelodi train. While I’m fairly certain the vuvuzela is banned from FIFA events after the riotous cacophony of 2010’s World Cup, I think the Sundowns supporters will bring enough energy to light any stadium they play in. On the field, the team will be eager to show off their signature attacking flair; it remains to be seen if it can translate onto an international arena. They have received a favorable group and simply need to execute.