Mamelodi Sundowns will benefit from their experience gained in hostile African environments when they meet a host side in Kashima Antlers at the Fifa Club World Cup on Sunday who Downs assistant coach Rhulani Mokoena called “very well coached”.

Antlers have the home support – the fans of Japan’s Kaizer Chiefs are known to be vocal and fanatical in a fashion in keeping with the country’s Rising Sun warrior nation past.

Sundowns have some inside knowledge on how the new Japanese champions – who qualified as the host club of the Club World Cup (CWC) being crowned their domestic titlists as early as a week ago – are laid out.

And Pitso Mosimane’s men have been hardened by winning their way into the CWC via becoming champions of Africa – one of the tougher continental titles to win in terms of the conditions faced.

Mosimane’s whiz kid prodigy assistant Mokoena said he was impressed with what he saw as Downs watched Antlers beat Oceania champions Auckland City 2-1 in Thursday’s playoff match to decide Downs’ quarterfinal opponents.

“Antlers have a very good coach. They’re a well-coached side with a very clear organisational scheme‚” Mokoena said of the work done by Antlers’ Masatada Ishii‚ who at 49 would consider himself in the Mosimane bracket of relative youth as a coach at this level.

“Auckland City were very resolute and had a well reinforced defensive block who played well and sat close to their box.

“But Antlers just persevered to come back and eventually win the game.

“You would know that culturally the Japanese are very well organised and meticulous people. And I think that shows within Antlers’ structure.

“They play a 4-4-2 formation with some very good individual players – particularly the full-backs [right-back Daigo Nishi and left-back Shuto Yamamoto]‚ who are very well balanced and give the team a lot both defensively and offensively.

“Antlers are comfortable on the ball. Look‚ there’s nothing too extensive in terms of elaborating on the ball. It’s very simple‚ very organised‚ they work very hard and maintain a good intensity throughout the 90 minutes.

“So it will be interesting to see whether they will adopt the same game model against us‚ or change. But I think we’ve seen not only the game model‚ but the intentions‚ because they’re playing at home.

“And they will play every single match to try and get a result.”

Mokoena said Downs’ mental fortitude displayed in some tough situations against hostile crowds winning the Caf Champions League will need to be drawn on at Osaka’s 40 000-seater Suita City Football Stadium.

“Playing a local team means we are in a position where we have to manage not just the tactical perspective‚ but also a physiological one in terms of managing the response that the team gets from the crowd.

“But I think we’ve done that very well‚ if you look at how we did against Setif [in Algeria]‚ and not just in Alexandria [in the Champions League final against Zamalek] but also in Cairo [against Al Ahly]‚ where we’ve been resolute and persevered in very difficult circumstances.

“Our players are experienced‚ and I’m sure that experience will be of good use for us on Sunday.”

Downs arrived on Tuesday and abandoned Wednesday’s first training session due to jet lag.

“It was just important for us to give the players as much support as we could so that they were fresh enough to adapt to the conditions‚” Mokoena said.

* Marc Strydom is in Japan as a guest of Mamelodi Sundowns.