Sundowns Win Their First Game On Tour
Mamelodi Sundowns secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Qatari side Al Arabi in their penultimate friendly match of their European tour on Friday.
Goals from Abubeker Nasir, Thapelo Maseko, and Tashreeq Matthews, all scored in the first half, propelled Sundowns to dominance, with the team enjoying 58% possession.
Sundowns came close to extending their lead to 4-0 later in the game, but Neo Maema’s brilliantly executed free kick narrowly missed the target. This win comes after a challenging start to the tour, with losses to Sandhausen and Dinamo Kiev, followed by a draw against Cardiff City on Tuesday.
The Brazilians face another stern test later today, as they take on Qatar champions Al Hilal at 4pm.
Al Hilal boasts a formidable squad featuring Senegalese captain Kalidou Coulibaly, Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves, Serbian Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, former Fulham striker Aleksander Mitrovic, ex-Barcelona attacker Malcom, and Brazilian superstar Neymar Junior.
However, the latter will miss the match due to a recovery from a season-long ACL injury. The team is led by experienced Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, who joined the club in July.
