Johnson: Sundowns’ global rise can lead to Intercontinental Cup glory

Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Cavin Johnson believes Mamelodi Sundowns have the quality to win the FIFA Intercontinental Cup after their latest success on the international stage.

Sundowns beat Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal 2-1 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday to lift the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup. The result was also reported as a 2-0 victory over Al Ahli, with Portuguese midfielder Nuno Santos scoring both goals with headers and being named Man of the Match.

The performance strengthened Johnson’s view that Sundowns have developed beyond being one of Africa’s leading clubs and now deserve to be regarded as a global force.

The former Bafana Bafana striker said the club’s sustained investment, together with its achievements in continental competition, had positioned the team to compete for major honours around the world.

“Sundowns have been preparing for this for a long time; over the years they’ve been chasing the Champions League, and they’ve won it twice,” Johnson told KickOff.

“They are now competing on the global stage, vying for cups like the Intercontinental Cup and the Club World Cup. They are a global brand now.”

Although Santos attracted the attention with his two goals, Johnson stressed that the achievement was the result of a complete team effort. He also rejected the suggestion that conditions in Pretoria had given Sundowns an advantage over their Saudi opponents.

“Al Hilal is not a walkover team, hey; they are a very good team, but when you look at Sundowns, you have to give credit to the whole team,” he said.

“They are all heroes. The weather at Loftus Versfeld couldn’t be a problem for Al Ahli because they play in hot conditions all the time.”

Johnson added that Sundowns would need to adapt to conditions far different from those in South Africa as they continue their international campaign.

“Sometimes Sundowns are going to play in ice-cold places; they need to be prepared for that because they are now a global team,” he said.

The victory sends Sundowns into the Challenger Cup, where they will meet the winners of the Derby of the Americas. The winner of that match will face European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

Johnson believes Sundowns’ recruitment has improved significantly and could help them challenge for the ultimate prize.

“The scouting at Sundowns has become better than it was in previous years,” he said. “A game between Sundowns and Paris Saint-Germain will be great to watch since PSG are the number one team in the world at the moment.”

He added: “Well, football is round, and because of that, anything can happen. Sundowns have what it takes to go all the way.”