Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has warned his players to expect significantly less time on the ball when they take on the worlds elite at the Club World Cup, a stark contrast to their usual dominance in South Africas domestic league.
The Pretoria-based side, who recently clinched their eighth consecutive South African league title, are known for their high-possession style of play. However, they now find themselves in a tough Group F alongside Brazilian champions Fluminense, Germany's Borussia Dortmund, and South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai, with Fluminense and Dortmund widely tipped to progress.
"In South Africa, we usually control matches with 70 possession, sometimes even more," said the 53-year-old Portuguese manager before flying out to North America with a 26-man squad. "But now, we have to be mentally prepared for situations where we won't dominate possession. It's unlikely we'll control games the way we're used to."
Cardoso, who previously managed clubs in Portugal, Ukraine, France, Spain and Greece, identified Dortmund as a particularly challenging opponent.
"They play an intense, aggressive style - typical of German football. It's a different test from what we face in South Africa or even in African competitions," he explained.