Allende leaves Sundowns future hanging

"I don't know, but now I want to enjoy this title," Allende said. Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Marcelo Allende has once again side‑stepped questions about his future after helping the club lift the FIFA African-Asian Pacific Cup. The Brazilians ran out 2-1 victors over Al‑Ahli Saudi at Loftus Versfeld last Saturday, a result that also secured their progression to the next round of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. When pressed on his future, the Chilean remained tight‑lipped, offering no clarity on his next move despite his contract expiring at the end of the current season. “I don’t know, but now I want to enjoy this title,” Allende said when asked about the possibility of renewing his contract with the Tshwane giants. “After the FIFA break, we have another big challenge. We have to keep focusing on the season because we have a lot of cups to play in.” Allende has earned just one senior cap for the Chile national team despite his consistent performances for Sundowns since arriving in South Africa in 2022. He admits that being overlooked is difficult to accept but vowed to continue working hard for his current employers. “It makes me a little sad because I’m proud and I would like to represent my country but it’s life and football. I will continue to always give my best and try to play my best football,” the 27‑year‑old said. Allende echoed teammate Aubrey Modiba’s sentiments, insisting that Sundowns have what it takes to compete against some of the best teams in world football. Masandawana are now just one match away from potentially facing UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint‑Germain in the final of the Intercontinental Cup. “Sometimes we joke and imagine that we’re playing against PSG. We watch them on TV but you can dream,” he concluded. “When I came here, I never thought of this, but when you start to understand the level we have here at Sundowns, I thought we can fight against anyone. We need to show it. We showed against Ahli that we can fight against the best teams in the world.”