FIFA CWC: Mamelodi Sundowns in a do-or-die encounter with Fluminense

With Africa’s most ranked team, Al Ahly of Egypt crashing out of the FIFA Club World Cup Tuesday despite their 4-4 goal feast with FC Porto, the continent will rely on South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns to continue having a representation in the competition.
They need an outright win in the Group F fixture between them and Fluminense to guarantee them a spot in the last 16, but only Fluminense will progress if they play a draw of whatever hue.
After going down 4-3 in a thriller to Borussia Dortmund on matchday two, Sundowns are third in the group, and due to their inferior head to head record against the German giants, they must win here to have any chance of a top-two finish in the group.
That would leave Fluminense sweating on events elsewhere, but if a victory for the South African outfit does come, it is unlikely to be by much, given that none of their last four games have been decided by more than a one-goal margin.
Fluminense have a little more leeway than their opponents, whom they lead by a point, so simply avoiding defeat at Hard Rock Stadium will be enough for the 2023 CWC runners-up to reach the last 16.
They will also scrape through with a defeat should Dortmund also lose by at least the same margin, but Renato Gaúcho’s side will hope that they won’t have to worry about that as they go into this encounter on the back of an eight-game unbeaten streak after six wins and two draws.
This will be the first meeting between these two clubs, as well as Sundowns’ first game against a South American outfit. While this is Fluminense’s first clash against a side from South Africa, they did beat another African team, Egyptians Al Ahly, 2-0 in the CWC semi-finals in 2023.