Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso's Mamelodi have won the South African top flight for eight consecutive seasons but finished as runners-up in the CAF Champions League final earlier in June.

Cardoso handed Themba Zwane his first start since September after injury, against Ulsan, who qualified through the AFC rankings pathway.

Nicknamed 'The Brazilians' because of their bright yellow shirts, akin to those of the five-time World Cup winners, Sundowns players showed some flair on the ball in the opening stages.

However it was Ulsan who should have taken the lead, when their Brazilian striker Erick Farias fired a fine chance just over the angle of post and bar.

Mamelodi thought they had taken the lead after the half-hour mark when Rayners bundled home from a corner, but the ball went in off his arm and it was disallowed.

However the South Africa international was not to be denied and he stroked his team in front in the 36th minute after Lucas Ribeiro set him up.

Rayners had another goal disallowed for offside before the break as he picked away at the Ulsan defence. Teboho Mokoena almost doubled Mamelodi's lead with a dipping free-kick but Jo Hyeon-woo tipped his effort to safety.

The South Koreans made inroads in the second half and forced Mamelodi back into their own territory in search of an equaliser but to no avail as Sundowns hung on to become the first African side to win a game at the tournament.