South African soccer club practices in Bradenton

BRADENTON, Fla. — The FIFA Club World Cup is set to commence next week, with Tampa Bay serving as a training hub for South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. As they prepare for the tournament, the team is also looking ahead to next year’s World Cup.

“Beautiful environment,” remarked Coach Steve Komphela, pleased with his initial impressions of Tampa Bay’s clear skies. “The skies are open, blue — like South Africa.”

Player Neo Maema shared, “In our country, it’s winter right now, so it’s actually nice to be chasing summer.” The team returned from South Africa earlier this week for their first FIFA Club World Cup in nearly ten years.

Despite some pre-match nerves, Maema expressed confidence: “We’re playing against the best clubs in the world, and we just have to apply ourselves like we know how to play football in South Africa.” Coach Komphela added, “The most important thing is the preparation now, starting from the training ground, the meeting room, the food you eat.” These aspects significantly contribute to their performance.

IMG Academy hosted a welcome reception for the team on Friday evening. Mike Milliron, IMG’s chief operating officer, stated, “Having an international team of this caliber train on our campus is a testament to our world-class facilities.” He added that IMG has previously hosted elite teams and athletes from around the globe, reinforcing its reputation as a premier training destination.

The revamped FIFA Club World Cup includes 32 teams from diverse regions, competing in 12 U.S. cities, including Orlando and Miami. “We know the 32 teams here are regarded as the top dogs, and we must embrace that challenge,” said Komphela. “It’s never going to be easy, but we have to infuse our flair and culture into our football,” Maema stated.

The Sundowns are prepping for their match against the South Korean team on Tuesday at Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando. Komphela noted that they will remain at IMG at least until June 25, with a potential extension should they advance in the tournament.