South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns secured a 1-0 victory over South Korean side Ulsan HD in their opening FIFA Club World Cup match on Tuesday, earning a crucial win for African representation at the tournament.
Striker Iqraam Rayners scored the sole goal of the contest, which was delayed by over an hour due to the threat of lightning in central Florida. The result moves Sundowns, who were runners-up in this month’s CAF Champions League, to the top of Group F. The group’s other opening match saw Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense play out a 0-0 draw earlier in the day.
The victory marks the first win for an African team at the new 32-team tournament, following an opening-round draw for Egypt’s Al Ahly and a defeat for Tunisia’s Esperance.
After a lengthy delay where the teams were ordered back to the dressing rooms as a precaution, the match finally got underway at the Inter & Co Stadium. Sundowns dominated possession from the outset and looked to have taken an early lead, but two first-half efforts from Rayners were disallowed following VAR checks—one for handball and another for a marginal offside.
However, Rayners was not to be denied a third time. Nine minutes before halftime, he latched onto a well-weighted through ball from Brazilian playmaker Lucas Ribeiro and calmly poked his shot into the net.
Despite controlling over 70% of possession, Sundowns were often wasteful in front of goal and unable to extend their lead. Ulsan relied on counter-attacks for their opportunities and missed a golden chance in the fourth minute when their Brazilian forward, Erick Farias, failed to convert with the goal at his mercy.
Mamelodi Sundowns’ defence held firm, scrambling two other Ulsan chances off the line to preserve their narrow but significant victory.
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