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Cape Town - Speaking ahead of the Club World Cup, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says it's important for South African clubs to gain more global recognition.
CAF Champions League winners Sundowns have already landed in Japan, the venue for this year's FIFA Club World Cup, which features the champion clubs from Spain, Korea, Mexico, Colombia and New Zealand (all of whom won their respective continental competitions) as well as host team J League champions Kashima Antlers.
This will be the first occasion that a South African team will feature at the tournament - the last time a South African club won the Champions League (Orlando Pirates in 1995), the Club World Cup did not exist.
Mosimane has recognised the competition will give PSL league champions Masandawana the opportunity to raise their profile.
"The only way to be in that space is to go to the Club World Cup. People should not say 'who are you'? They must say 'we know that team'.
"You must be invited rather than beg teams to invite you. This is the only way we can put Sundowns at a high level. What's important is to always win the [domestic] league and compete in the Champions League," he was quoted saying by the Sowetan.
But the former Bafana Bafana coach says PSL clubs should also be looking at other ways of marketing themselves, such as travelling abroad for pre-season friendly games.
"It's important for Sundowns to play in this space. We are at an international level now, so I would like us to see us improving our pre-season programme.
"We must play at an international level during pre-season. This thing of playing Platinum Stars and others must change. Pre-seasons are in the US, Qatar and Dubai. We need to play in that space."
