Africa-Press – Rwanda. With just a month left, Africa’s best four teams are set to battle the giants of world club football in the United States in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Stakes are high as the African continent is still chasing its first trophy in the competition.
The 21st edition of the competition is an upgraded version with 32 clubs participating for the first time in the tournament’s history. Africa has four representatives in Al Ahly of Egypt, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, Wydad Athletic of Morocco and Esperance of Tunisia.
African clubs have been struggling on the global stage since the tournament’s inception in 2000.
TP Mazembe and Raja Casablanca remain Africa’s best performers at the FIFA Club World Cup, reaching the final in 2010 and 2013 respectively.
The continent has made giant strides in world football over the past five years and Morocco finishing 4th at the Qatar 2022 World Cup is a testament that African football is coming of age.
As the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup edges closer, Times Sport takes a look at African teams’ chances winning the tournament.
Al Ahly (Egypt)
Undoubtedly Africa’s torchbearers at the tournament in the United States. The 12-time CAF Champions League winners have won bronze four times at the FIFA Club World Cup competition in 2006, 2020, 2021 and 2023.
The CAF club of the century boasts of huge experience and they have what it takes to reach far in the competition.
Drawn in Group A alongside Brazilian giants Palmeiras, Portuguese champions FC Porto as well as Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, the group promises to be a dicey one.
Al Ahly will open the competition on June 14 against Inter Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens before facing Palmeiras at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, five days later. They will wrap up the group phase against Porto on June 23.
With the exception of Inter Miami who have a great squad on top of playing before the home crowd, all the other teams can be manageable.
Interim Al Ahly head coach Emad El Nahas can rely on experienced players such as skipper Mohamed El Shenawy in the posts, Yahia Allah, Akram Tawfik, Slovenian import Nejc Gradisar and Reda Slim among others.
If they get the needed results against Inter Miami, expect Ahly to go far in the competition.
Esperance (Tunisia)
Esperance found themselves in a tricky Group D where they will face Chelsea, Flamengo and the May 31st play-off winner between Los Angeles FC and Club America.
Esperance will lock horns with Flamengo at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on June 16, before subsequent games are against play-off winner between Los Angeles FC and Club America on June 20th and Chelsea on June 24.
It is very tricky but Chelsea and Flamengo are the firm favorites to qualify out of the Group. Notwithstanding, Esperance can pull a surprise with good preparations.
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
South African powerhouse Mamelodi Sundowns are paired in Group F alongside Fluminense of Brazil, Ulsan HD of Korea, and Borussia Dortmund of Germany.
“Masandawana” will face Ulsan HD on June 17, at Inter &Co Stadium at Orlando, Dortmund at TQL Stadium at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium on June 21 and Fluminense at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami on June 25.
The group is not that tight and Sundowns, with the right preparation, can at least make it to the second round.
Sundowns’ first appearance in the competition was in 2016 where they failed to win a single game. The team currently has a host of players from South America namely Brazilian duo of Arthur Sales and Lucas Costa, Argentine pair of Lucas Suarez and Matias Esquivel as well as Chilean forward Marcelo Allende.
These are quality players who could be the driving force behind Sundowns. They can at least get to the round of 16.
Wydad Athletic (Morocco)
Wydad should be inspired by the success of Morocco at the 2022 World Cup and get to at least the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.
They should also be eager to emulate the success of their rivals Raja Casablanca who reached the final in 2013 before losing 2-0 to Bayern Munich.
Wydad are in a manageable Group G Manchester City and Juventus, two teams who have have struggled this season, alongside UAE outfit Al Ain. The Moroccan giants will face Manchester City on June 18, Juventus on June 22 and Al Ain on June 26.
Wydad have a relatively good chance of making it to the second round as the teams in the group are going into the tournament from a poor season per their standard.
Wydad have beefed up their squad with the signing of former Ghana U23 star Samuel Obeng who was a dominant figure in the Spanish second tier league for the past few years, Brazilian midfielder Arthur and Thembinkosi Lorch from South Africa among others.
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