Club World Cup 2025: Mamelodi Sundowns beat Ulsan HD as Iqraam Rayners nets winner

South African powerhouse Mamelodi Sundowns secured a commanding victory in their Club World Cup debut on Tuesday evening, with striker Iqraam Rayners scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 triumph over South Korea's Ulsan HD.

The victory positioned the African Champions League runners-up at the summit of Group F, following Borussia Dortmund's goalless draw with Fluminense earlier in the day.

This marked a historic achievement as the first victory by an African representative in the expanded 32-team tournament format being held in the United States, after Egypt's Al Ahly managed only a draw in their opener

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Rayners found the net nine minutes before the interval at Inter & Co Stadium in a match that experienced a delay of over an hour due to lightning threats in central Florida.

French referee Clément Turpin had initially called both teams onto the field before ordering them back to the dressing rooms as a safety precaution.

The South African striker had two additional first-half efforts disallowed following VAR reviews—one for handball and another for a marginal offside position.

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His successful strike resulted from excellent build-up play, with Brazilian playmaker Lucas Ribeiro threading a precise pass through the Ulsan defence, allowing Rayners to guide the ball home.

Sundowns nearly opened the scoring within the first 20 seconds through some incisive passing that created an opportunity for Ribeiro, though his attempt was blocked.

This early chance established the pattern of Sundowns' dominance throughout the encounter, as they maintained over 70% possession.

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However, their passing tempo occasionally lacked urgency, and they squandered several scoring opportunities.

Ulsan adopted a counter-attacking approach and created their clearest chance in the fourth minute through a swift transition, but Brazilian forward Erick Farias failed to convert with the goal at his disposal.

While the Korean side rarely controlled proceedings, they did generate two dangerous moments that required desperate defending from Sundowns to keep their goal intact.

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