Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac has warned his players that Mamelodi Sundowns will not be pushovers when the two teams meet in the second Group F game of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday June 21. Dortmund go into the game at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati looking to improve from their goalless draw against Brazilian outfit Fluminense on June 17 while Sundowns pipped Korean side Korea Ulsan Hyundai 1-0. Kovac said his team and Fluminense are favorites to qualify from the group stages but he remains aware of the big threat that Sundown can pose. ALSO READ: Palmeiras beat Al Ahly, game temporarily halted amid bad weather “As I said before, I think Fluminense and my team are for sure the favorites but, in football, you must play the games, Kovac told the press ahead of Saturday's game “I am sure that we are the favorites so we are looking forward to the next game against Sundowns,” he added. Kovac acknowledges Sundowns’ playing style and strategies and he hopes the map it up to contain them. “We have some impressions; we know that Sundowns played the Champions League final of Africa weeks ago and it’s a tough opponent, so you saw in the other games that they worked hard against other African teams. They are strong and powerful so for that we need to refresh our minds and be fully prepared because the next game is very important for us.” A win for Sundowns will see them through the second round with a game to spare while Dortmund need a win to stay in contention for a ticket to the knockout stages.
