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The expanded FIFA Club World Cup was always going to be a moment of truth, not just for FIFA’s bold new format, but for how the global game truly measures up when its most successful clubs finally meet on the same platform.
For Africa, the test has been layered. Four clubs — Al Ahly, Mamelodi Sundowns, Espérance de Tunis, and Wydad Casablanca are flying the flag. The results so far have been mixed, promising, revealing, and maybe uncomfortable.
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After two rounds of matches, Al Ahly have been tidy, structured, and purposeful. But they have not scored a goal. Esperance, bruised by Flamengo, beat LAFC like streetfighters who knew where the bruises were. Sundowns looked closest to the tempo, but still conceded four to Borussia Dortmund. Wydad got steamrolled by Manchester City and then, in the stands, tried to win the game on atmosphere alone, seeing just two wins in a total of eight games for Africa.
It’s tempting, from the outside, to frame this as failure. But that’s lazy. What it is, is revealing.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s gone right, what’s gone wrong, and what it all says.
Al Ahly: Structured, Brave, and Toothless
For the Egyptian giants, they have probably lacked luck. Against Inter Miami, they pressed with discipline, used the ball sensibly, and should have won. Missed a penalty, missed big chances.
Then came Palmeiras, and with it, a lesson in final-third punishment. Two goals in ten minutes. Game over. Not because Al Ahly were poor, they weren’t, but because the margin between presence and power is so thin at this level. They didn’t play badly. But that’s not the question anymore. The question is: can you hurt anyone?
Al Ahly couldn’t. Two games, no win. They have looked like a team built for continental success, not global competition.
Sundowns Play Football. Real Football. And Still Lose
Mamelodi Sundowns have made a name for themselves as Africa’s most progressive club. They don’t just play, they construct. A 4-3-3 that shifts into a 3-box-3. Overloads. Traps. The full tactical jazz is evident.
They beat Ulsan Hyundai in the opener. But the Dortmund game told you more. Sundowns led. Then trailed. Blown away at a point, found a way to reduce the deficit And then lost.
This wasn’t a team out of its depth. It was a team playing just well enough to be punished for not playing perfectly — converting chances.
And that’s what hurts the most. The near miss. The almost.
Esperance: Ugly, Clever, Underrated
Nobody really wanted to watch Esperance de Tunis against LAFC. And that was probably the point.
They’d been battered by Flamengo — 70% possession, two goals, and an entire evening of watching shadows dance. So against LAFC, they did what Esperance always do when cornered. They made it horrible. The tackles were cynical. The flow was disrupted. The game was fought in moments, not phases.
And then, Youcef Belaili showed up. A proper No. 10, drifting. One chance. One finish. One-nil. Game over.
It wasn’t a pretty goal and win. It was never meant to be. But it was smart. And in tournaments like this, smart matters.
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Wydad Casablanca: Emotion Without Identity
The Wydad fans came with flares. That part they never get wrong.
Against City, they played good football. They showed promise. But two lapses in concentration saw them concede twice in the first half, and in the second, catching up proved too difficult.
Against Juventus, they simply didn’t show up. Blown away in a ruthless 4-1 defeat by the Bianconeri, any hopes of reaching the next round are now gone.
Where Does This Leave African Club Football?
The Club World Cup isn’t built for sentiment, it’s a spotlight. And so far, it’s shown that African clubs have moments, even spells of real competitiveness.
What they lack is consistency. Depth. Ruthlessness in front of goal. And the ability to close games when it matters most.
Tactically, there’s progress.
But if Africa’s goal is to compete, not just appear in this competition, then the real work is only just beginning.
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