Mamelodi Sundowns request date change for Caf Champions League clash against CR Belouizdad

BetOdds Mamelodi Sundowns CAF Champions League Belouizdad v Mamelodi Sundowns Belouizdad

The Brazilians continue to push for the adjustment of their fixtures and they have Safa and the PSL’s blessing

Mamelodi Sundowns have approached Caf to have their already rescheduled Champions League Group B match against CR Belouizdad moved from Sunday to Saturday.

The Tshwane giants are pencilled in to meet the Algerian side in Dar es Salaam on Sunday before they travel to Stellenbosch for Tuesday's Premier Soccer League date.

Due to the closeness of those fixtures being incompatible with their travel arrangements, Sundowns want the Champions League clash to be pushed back to Saturday.

The PSL has followed Safa’s stance in throwing their weight behind the Brazilians, with the league's acting chief executive officer Mato Madlala saying they will make the club comfortable with its fixture programe.

“Sundowns are still talking to the Confederation of African Football about arranging their game to be played on Saturday‚” Madlala told Times Live.

“That brings a different dimension to their games because they have a game on Tuesday against Stellenbosch. Sundowns were supposed to play on Sunday against Belouizdad but Tanzania does not always have times in which they have flights.

“They don’t fly every day‚ so there are a lot of logistical matters being sorted out. It’s not a clear case of yes or no [on the postponement]‚ starting with the club trying to change the date.

“We support Sundowns in wanting to change their Caf match to Saturday because that will help us find dates for them to catch up on their PSL fixtures. Sundowns were supposed to play Maritzburg [on Wednesday]‚ there is this Stellenbosch game and there’s a Swallows game after that.”

The match against Belouizdad was initially planned for Tuesday but Downs were barred from travelling to Algiers by Algerian authorities due to coronavirus restrictions.

That forced Caf to move the match to neutral Tanzania on Sunday.

On the Saturday they want to meet Belouizdad, the Brazilians had been scheduled to play Polokwane City in a Nedbank Cup Last-16 match.

The PSL says they have no problem with postponing the Nedbank Cup fixture.

“We’re giving Sundowns time to see whether they’ll succeed [with request to Caf],” said Madlala.

“As the PSL we don’t have any issues with postponing their match against Polokwane and we’re constantly talking to Sundowns. If they must play a Caf game they must play. If the club says ‘wait for us, this is what we’re still discussing’, we have to wait because when we postpone we must then fixture again.”

After meeting Stellenbosch on Tuesday, Downs then fly to DRC to meet Tout Puissant Mazembe three days later before returning to South Africa for another away match against Swallows FC.

2021-02-24 18:00:09

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