Allende leaves Sundowns future hanging

Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Marcelo Allende has once again avoided addressing his future after contributing to the club's triumph in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup. A 2-1 win against Al-Ahli Saudi at Loftus Versfeld secured their progression to the next round of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. When questioned about his future, the Chilean remained evasive, showing no indication of his next steps despite his contract ending at the close of the current season.

"I'm not sure, but right now I want to relish this title," Allende said when asked about the prospect of extending his contract with Tshwane United. "Following the FIFA pause, we face another significant challenge. We must concentrate on the season, as we have numerous cups to compete in." Allende has earned just one senior appearance for the Chile national team, despite his regular contributions to Sundowns since joining South Africa in 2022.

He admits the lack of call-ups is frustrating but pledges to keep working diligently for his current club. "It makes me a bit sad because I'm proud and would love to play for my country, but that's life and football," the 27-year-old explained. Allende mirrored teammate Aubrey Modiba's views, affirming Sundowns' capability to compete against some of the world's premier teams.

Masandawana are now just one match away from a potential showdown with UEFA Champions League victors Paris Saint-Germain in the Intercontinental Cup final. "We often joke and imagine playing against PSG, watching them on TV, but you can dream," he concluded. "When I joined here, I never imagined this, but knowing the caliber of players we have at Sundowns, we thought we could face anyone. We need to prove it. We demonstrated against Ahli that we can match the best teams in the world."