South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns marked their Super World Club Championship debut with a narrow yet commanding 1-0 victory over South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai on Tuesday evening.
The match, played in Orlando, showcased Sundowns’ intent and quality, with striker Rayners delivering the decisive goal.
The result sees Sundowns claim their first three points of the tournament and seize the top spot in Group F, thanks also to the earlier draw between Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund.
Next, the Brazilians will face Ulsan, while the South Africans gear up for a high-stakes clash against Dortmund.
From the opening whistle, Sundowns controlled proceedings. Their aggressive, attacking approach pinned Ulsan back, forcing the Korean side to rely on sporadic counter-attacks that never truly threatened goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
The first half was a tale of persistent pressure from Sundowns. At the 28-minute mark, Rayners appeared to have broken the deadlock with a clever near-post header from a right-side corner.
However, VAR intervened to chalk off the goal due to a handball in the build-up.
Undeterred, Sundowns struck moments later. Brazilian midfielder Lucas Ribeiro picked out Rayners with a perfectly timed through-ball.
The forward made no mistake, slotting the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper to make it 1-0.
The duo combined again before halftime for what seemed to be a second goal, but once more VAR stepped in, this time for an offside infringement.
After the break, Sundowns continued to dominate possession and territory, with Ribeiro pulling the strings in midfield.
Despite several promising opportunities to extend their lead, the South African side could not find the finishing touch.
As the game wore on, Sundowns tactically slowed the pace, managing their slim advantage effectively.
Ulsan, meanwhile, struggled to make inroads and only came close to scoring in the final ten minutes.
Their best chance came in the 80th minute when Lacava surged into the box and forced a fine save from Williams. The rebound fell to Erick Farias, whose effort was bravely cleared by the Sundowns’ defense.
In the end, it was a deserved win for the African champions, who now sit atop Group F with confidence heading into their next challenge against Dortmund.
