Nthethe sends Sundowns Club World Cup warning

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Thabo Nthethe has warned Mamelodi Sundowns that no amount of domestic or continental success can fully prepare a team for the demands of the FIFA Club World Cup, as the South African champions prepare for their return to the competition in Miami later this month.

The former centre-back was part of the Sundowns side that lifted the CAF Champions League in 2016, a triumph that marked the beginning of the club’s current era of dominance. But their reward for conquering Africa was a sobering reality check in Japan, where they lost to Kashima Antlers and Jeonbuk Motors in their maiden Club World Cup appearance.

“The tempo was something else. It was totally different from South African football,” Nthethe said in an interview with SportsBoom. “In both games, I didn’t play; I was on the bench. However, I could see how these Japanese guys passed the ball; the weight of the pass was heavy, and their first touch was flawless.”

Sundowns failed to score across both fixtures in 2016 and conceded six goals in the process. Though the club has since evolved, the core lesson, according to Nthethe, remains unchanged.

“The guys in there, you could tell that it was not easy for them watching from the bench,” he said. “I remember when we got to the hotel afterwards, the guys were saying it was not easy. The opponents’ technique was on another level.”

Now 41 and retired since 2020, Nthethe believes Sundowns must approach the expanded tournament in the United States with a heightened level of focus. Drawn in Group F with Borussia Dortmund, Fluminense and Ulsan HD, the challenge is as varied as it is steep.

Nthethe recalled how the 2016 Champions League journey itself came with its own complications. Sundowns had initially been eliminated by AS Vita Club, only to be reinstated after the Congolese side was sanctioned for fielding an ineligible player. The call from CAF came during the team’s domestic title celebrations.

“When we received the news, we were too busy with the trophy parade, the league trophy,” he said. “By then, we had booked holidays and trips with the wives and the girlfriends and stuff for the off-season. I was going with my wife to Dubai for a week. Then after that, we were supposed to go to Turkey, but I only managed to go to Dubai, while my wife went to Turkey alone.”

That abrupt shift in focus turned into a defining moment for the squad. “We needed to play well as individuals because we wanted to make history,” Nthethe said. “As a player, at the end of your career, you want to be part of the first team that brings the African trophy to Pretoria for the Mamelodi Sundowns badge.”

Sundowns reached their goal in 2016, but with a new challenge ahead, Nthethe is cautious. He believes past achievements count for little against teams whose intensity, technical quality and mentality exceed what is typically encountered in South African football.

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Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

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Dylan Johnson