* Seeing our name up there with the best of the best gave us goosebumps — it’s such an amazing achievement for the club
* Drawn in Group F places alongside giants Fluminense of Brazil, Germany’s Borussia Dortmundand South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai
Maravi Express
Mamelodi Sundowns captain Ronwen Williams has expressed pride and excitement after his team was drawn in Group F of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, set to take place in the United States.
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They are drawn alongside giants Fluminense of Brazil, Germany’s Borussia Dortmundand South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai and speaking from Morocco where the squad is in camp ahead of this weekend’s CAF Champions League matches, Williams, described the draw as a significant milestone for the South African champions.
“It’s such an amazing achievement for the club,” Williams told CAFonline. “Seeing our name up there with the best of the best gave us goosebumps.
“Watching it together as a team was a heartfelt moment, and we’re excited to represent our colours on this global stage.”
On being drawn against giants Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund, Williams highlighted the tough nature of the group but expressed confidence in their ability to compete.
“It’s a wonderful group,” he told CAFonline. “Fluminense is a team we’ve studied a lot because of their similar style of play. Facing Borussia Dortmund will be special, especially for our teammate Tashreeq Matthews, who used to play for them.
“And the Koreans are known for their fast, intense football. We’re ready for the challenge and can’t wait for the tournament to begin.”
The expanded 32-team format of the Club World Cup, which runs from June 15 to July 13, provides African clubs a golden opportunity to showcase their quality.
All African teams face formidable opponents, but the top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, offering a pathway to create history.
Sundowns’ new coach, Portuguese Miguel Cardoso
The South African champions, Mamelodi Sundowns open their Group F campaign against Ulsan HD on June 18 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C before their second match against Fluminense on June 22 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, followed by a showdown with the German giants Borussia Dortmund on June 26 at MetLife Stadium in New York.
Egyptian and African club football giants, Al Ahly are in Group A in which the record CAF Champions League winners will begin their campaign against tournament hosts Inter Miami on June 15 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
The Egyptian giants will then face FC Porto on June 19 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas before concluding their group stage against SE Palmeiras on June 23 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Espérance Sportive de Tunis
Espérance Sportive de Tunis are in Group D in which they have been handed a daunting schedule, starting against CR Flamengo on June 17 at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, Club León on June 21 at NRG Stadium in Houston and finish the group stage against English powerhouse Chelsea on June 25 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Reigning African champions, Wydad AC Group G fixtures have them against England’s Manchester City on June 16 at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Al Ainon June 20 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, and wrapping up their group stage against Italian giants Juventus on June 24 at Lumen Field in Seattle.
Meanwhile, Egyptian giants Al Ahly are just days away from embarking on their FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024 campaign, with the team set to face the winner of tomorrow’s clash between Brazil’s Botafogo and Mexico’s Pachuca.
The Challenger Cup showdown will take place on Saturday in Doha with the African giants taking on the winner of tomorrow’s fixture in the Qatari capital.
Al Ahly
Having earned their spot by triumphing in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup with a commanding 3-0 victory over Asian champions, Al Ain, the Cairo-based side are riding high on confidence.
Ahly now dream of progressing to face European champions Real Madrid in the Intercontinental Cup final and midfielder Marwan Attia reflected on the club’s ethos of performing on the biggest stage.
“Al Ahly are accustomed to competing in major tournaments – that’s who we are, it’s in our nature,” he said after their latest triumph.
His confidence reflects the team’s record-breaking history, including 12 CAF Champions League titles and a string of domestic and continental trophies.
Veteran defender Omar Kamal highlighted the team’s resilience under pressure: “Al Ahly’s character really emerges when we’re under pressure. We showed this in the African Super Cup, the Egyptian Super Cup, and again against Al Ain.”
Kamal, who is a key player for Ahly, emphasised the importance of focus and respect for their opponents while Mahmoud Kahraba, one of Al Ahly’s stars, underlined the club’s hunger for titles: “We always focus on winning big and important games because it offers us a new title.”
Kahraba praised the fans for their unwavering support, which has become a hallmark of the team’s success and reflecting on the magnitude of the upcoming matches, Attia added: “Meeting Real Madrid is certainly a motivating factor for us as they’re the biggest club in the world. God willing, we’ll be able to face them in the final.”
With a rich history in global competitions, including four appearances in the past five FIFA Club World Cups, Al Ahly’s experience provides a crucial edge.
“Experience from past editions gave us confidence,” said Kamal. “We don’t take any game for granted because they’re all big teams.”— content by CAFonline; edited by Maravi Express
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