Niko Kovac ahead of the game against Mamelodi Sundowns: “We want to win these games” | OneFootball

...the opponents Mamelodie Sundowns: “Sundowns are a team that has dominated everything in South Africa in recent years and lost the Champions League final in Africa a few weeks ago. A team that wants to play attractive football. For us, that means we have to prevent that and need possession. It's going to be bloody hot tomorrow. And when the sun shines in from the south at 12 noon, you have to make sure you have a lot of possession. Because if you're chasing the music, it's going to cost you unnecessary energy.”

...a possible starting role for Jobe Bellingham: “In terms of his fitness, he's definitely one. We've only had him with us for a while now, which means he'll need a bit more time, I think. But if I were to bring him on tomorrow, I wouldn't have any stomach ache, on the contrary. But of course we already have a lot of good midfielders and a lot of good people, so I'll leave that open for tomorrow.”

...rotation in the squad: “I really do have an oversupply of very good players. If you've watched the other games, you'll also see that many teams rotate. There won't be a player who has played from the first game to the last, maybe we'll take the goalkeepers out. In other words, especially in these temperatures, it will be about getting fresh players in, getting people in who can naturally cope with the weather. That's why we changed two players after 60 minutes in the first game and changed them after around 75 minutes, so we'll do the same tomorrow. Also because we want to keep the quality up - with every minute, of course, the strength drops in these temperatures. That's why we want to try and utilise the five players we can change accordingly.”

...the pace of play at the Club World Cup: “The tempo is not high because it is not possible due to the temperatures. We would all like to play at a completely different tempo. But even for the spectators it's pretty hot. You have to imagine what that means for the players in these temperatures. We're talking about 32 degrees in the shade tomorrow, down in the cauldron we're certainly talking about three, four, five degrees more. Then you also have to run. That's not an excuse, it's simply an explanation. If one or two people sit in front of the television and say that they're not moving, then there's a reason for it. It's hurting all the teams at the moment. The Europeans in particular are finding it very difficult. I think the southern countries are used to it, that it's easier for them. But nonetheless, we want to win these games, no matter what form or manner.”