Modiba: Sundowns Ready To Take On Ulsan In FIFA Club World Cup
Mamelodi Sundowns defender Aubrey Modiba has expressed confidence in his team’s preparations ahead of their opening game of the FIFA Club World Cup against South Korean giants Ulsan.
The match is set to take place on Wednesday at midnight at the Inter & Co Stadium.
“We arrived here on Monday last week as we left South Africa on Sunday,” Modiba said.
“It’s quite hot, but I can’t complain, we have to work. Obviously, I’m from Limpopo and I’m familiar with this weather, but at the end of the day, we’re here to work and we’ve been preparing well.”
Modiba emphasized that Sundowns is focused on applying the skills and strategies they’ve been working on in training to the game.
“We’re looking forward to the first game and hopefully, we can apply things that we’ve been doing at training in the game,” he said.
“Let’s go out there, and I think we’re ready for the game.”
The former SuperSport United defender acknowledged that Ulsan, coached by Pan-gon Kim, is a formidable opponent, praising their style of play and the quality of their players. The Koreans have won the K League 1 five times and are two-time champions in the AFC Champions League.
“Ulsan is a very good team and we’re similar in terms of how we play because we play a similar type of football,” he said.
“They’ve got good players, they’re doing well in their respective league, and they’ve got four or five stars on their kit. It’s a good team, and they are not here by mistake; that shows they deserve to be here.”
Modiba recognized the significance of the match, not just for Sundowns but for African football as a whole.
“It’s going to be a tough game, and we’re looking forward to it, and we’ll apply ourselves to do well because we’re representing Africa as a whole,” he said.
