Shalulile Reveals Sundowns’ FIFA Club World Cup Target

Mamelodi Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile has revealed the Brazilians’ ambitious goal at the newly expanded, groundbreaking 32-team 2025 FIFA Club World Cup set to take place in the USA from 14 June to 13 July 2025.

Masandawana are one of the four African representatives at the global showpiece, including record 12-time CAF Champions League winners Al Ahly, Tunisian giants Esperance de Tunis, and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.

With the respective domestic campaigns across the globe slowly drawing to a close and paving the way for the commencement of the prestigious tournament, the 31-year-old deadly center-forward is relishing the chance to rub shoulders with the world’s finest.

“It’s a wonderful feeling. You’re going to see some of the best players, the best teams, and you can also see how good you are. We are excited and ready for that. Thousands of people are going to be there.

I know there will be butterflies [in my stomach] but eventually they will go away,” Shalulile told FIFA.

While the South African champions have been pitted in a tough group G against German side Borussia Dortmund, Brazilian outfit Fluminense FC, and Ulsan HD from the Korea Republic, Shalulile says their objective is to make it out of the group stages, banking on their winning mentality.

“The club’s goal is to make sure we make it out of the group stages. That’s the target. I expect us to do it because we don’t just go into any competition to make up the numbers, but to be a team where they [opposition] can also fear us,” he added.

“I can describe it [squad mentality] as a ‘never-say-die’ mentality. In all those years, in ups and downs, we kept on going because we knew where we saw ourselves. That’s how we will keep on going.” 

Furthermore, the Namibian talisman is elated with the support he will receive from his compatriots and believes his participation in the FIFA Club World Cup will inspire the upcoming generation in his native country to pursue their dreams.

“They [Namibian people] will be excited. They are waiting for that day when it’s going to kick off. They will be sitting in their homes, glued to the TV screens, waiting to see their boy do well in the Club World Cup,” the Downs goal-poacher continued.

“If I can go there, it means anything is possible. I wish many more Namibians could reach this stage. The impact [of me playing at the Club World Cup] is that they will know that anything they put their eyes on, their mind on, their heart on, is possible.”