Mamelodi Sundowns academy graduate Cassius Mailula has named two players he is watching with keen interest at Qatar’s 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Mamelodi Sundowns academy graduate Cassius Mailula has named two players he is watching with keen interest at Qatar’s 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The 2022 edition kicked off on Sunday with the host nation, Qatar suffering a 2-0 defeat against Ecuador.
With a few matches played so far, some players have already impressed.
The two stars Mailula mentioned play a similar role to the one he’s playing at Sundowns.
Mailula named Lionel Messi as the star he’s looking forward to seeing the most and Vinicius Junior as the youngster he’s tipping to impress at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Lionel Messi
“I have to go for Lionel Messi. No words describe him because he has broken all kinds of records. I love his movements with and without the ball. I hope he finally gets the chance to win the World Cup with Argentina,” Mailula told Mamelodi Sundowns magazine.
The Argentine captain, Messi will be a player to watch out in Qatar. He has earned 156 caps and has scored 91 goals for his country.
Argentina are favourites to come out on top in Group C of the FIFA World Cup. They were placed grouped alongside Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland.
However, in their World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia, they lost 2-1. Messi scored for Argentina.
Vinicius Junior
“Vinicius Junior from Brazil and Real Madrid. He is still young, but the way he takes on seasoned players is amazing. I can’t wait to see what he does with his teammates, Neymar, Gabriel Jesus and Rodrygo. Brazil is my team in Qatar,” added Mailula.
Vinicius Junior is still new at the Brazil senior national team setup. The 22-year-old has 16 caps to his name and has found the back of the net only once.
The five world champions are also favourites to win Group G of the FIFA World Cup. Their opponents are Cameroon, Serbia and Switzerland.
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