Sundowns Kick-Start FIFA Club World Cup Campaign With Win Over Ulsan

Mamelodi Sundowns got their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 campaign off to a winning start, beating South Korean giants Ulsan 1-0 in a tightly contested match at the Inter and Co Stadium on Wednesday morning.

The game, which was initially scheduled to kick off at midnight, was delayed by over an hour due to adverse weather conditions.

Despite the delay, Sundowns started the match on a high note, dominating the first 15 minutes with clever passes and probing attacks.

However, it was Iqraam Rayners who broke the deadlock in the 35th minute, scoring a well-taken goal after a great pass from Lucas Ribeiro Costa.

Rayners had earlier had a goal ruled out for handball when he beat JO Hyeonwoo at the near post from the corner kick.

The Brazilians could have gone into halftime with a more comfortable lead, but Rayners’ second goal was ruled out for offside, and Teboho Mokoena’s free-kick was superbly saved by Ulsan goalkeeper Hyeonwoo Jo.

In the second half, Sundowns continued to press, but Ulsan began to gain more possession and created a few scoring opportunities.

Coach Miguel Cardoso introduced Tashreeq Matthews, Bathusi Aubaas, and Lebo Mothiba in an attempt to strengthen Sundowns’ attack and midfield.

While the substitutions did not yield an immediate impact, they did create a few scoring opportunities, including a promising chance for Matthews in the final minutes of the game.

The 1-0 win puts Sundowns top of Group F with three points, ahead of Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund, who played out a 0-0 draw earlier in the day.

Sundowns will face Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, while Ulsan takes on Fluminense in the group’s other match. The win is a significant boost for Sundowns, who will look to build on this momentum in their next match.

Sundowns’ victory sees them become the first African team to score and win the match in the Club World Cup and the first South African side to win the Club World Cup match. They lost both matches in the 2016 edition when they made their debut in Japan.