The man who scored one of the two goals over the weekend in the 2023 Copa Libertadores (South America Champions League) final for eventual winners Fluminense could have been at Mamelodi Sundowns.
Argentine striker German Ezequiel Cano scored the opening goal for Fluminense as they went on to defeat Boca Juniors 2-1 after extra-time.
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That goal in the final was his 37th this season in five competitions for the Brazilian club that has been his employer since January 2022.
Cano scored 13 goals in 12 games in the Copa Libertadores this year.
For all the praise that Cano is being showered with in Brazil, this was a man who could have ended up wearing the colours of Sundowns.
It was in the year 2020 that Cano's name landed at Chloorkop after he was offered to the club by a network of South Americans who included a Brazilian who previously played in South Africa.
This website reported about this in July.
Already 32 at the time, Sundowns were turned off by the age and why he had moved around so much in his career from Argentina to Paraguay, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil.
Cano was at the time in the leaving Colombian club Independiente Medelin and while Sundowns would have had to stretch their budget it would have been within their limits considering how they have since paid for Chilean midfield wizard Marcelo Allende.
This website was told the transfer would have been in the region of the USD3 million (approx. R55 million) which is what Sundowns reportedly paid for Allende.
The Argentine then joined Vasco da Gama where he spent two years before moving on to Fluminense who became the ninth club that he has played in his senior career that started at Club Atletico Lanus, the same club where Sundowns midfielder Junior Mendieta also started.
The authorities at Sundowns were inundated with calls and emails from the South American network – who are always aggressive in their approach – but they stood their ground and chose to let Cano pass through their fingers.
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Just as a measure of proving his worth since he was offered to Sundowns, Cano read 24, 19, 44, and 37 so far this year with games to play in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A.
Fluminense will now play at the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup to be played in Saudi Arabia from December 12-22 where they will join the tournament at the semi-final stage along with Manchester City.