Downs start battle to defend title
Sundowns begin the defence of their African Champions League title at home on Friday, but the rest of SA’s representatives in continental club competition are away at the weekend.
Mamelodi Sundowns begin the defence of their African Champions League title at home on Friday, but the rest of South Africa’s representatives in continental club competition are on the road at the weekend.
Sundowns have set Friday night as the date for the first leg of their second round against Kampala Capital City Authority of Uganda at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.
Sundowns had a bye in the first round and need only get through this tie in order to book a place in the expanded group phase‚ which is now 16 teams strong instead of eight.
For Bidvest Wits‚ in their maiden appearance in Africa’s top-club competition‚ things are much more difficult.
They head to Cairo for a match-up with Egyptian giants Al Ahly‚ who have a winning record against South African opposition‚ on Saturday.
Egypt continues to place restrictions on crowd attendance at games because of security concerns and Saturday night’s game is being played at the Al-Salman Stadium‚ rarely used in the past by Ahly and which has a capacity of 30 000. Ahly are top of the Egyptian league standings and won their last game against Wadi Degla last Thursday.
Wits‚ who play in East London on Tuesday night against Chippa United‚ will be leaving for Cairo on Thursday‚ flying via Addis Ababa and returning directly from Cairo on Sunday.
Platinum Stars are in Uganda at the weekend‚ up against Vipers FC at St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday in the first leg of their African Confederation Cup second-round tie.
In the same competition‚ SuperSport United face a horror trip to Shendi in Sudan‚ which is 150km north of the capital Khartoum. It means a three-hour bus trip for the South Africans ahead of Sunday night’s game against Al Ahly Shandi.
Meanwhile, South African Football Association technical director Neil Tovey says the SA Under-20s have made the country proud after qualifying for the 2017 Fifa Under-20 World Cup.
The tournament will be played in South Korea from May to June. Amajita qualified after beating Sudan 3-1 in the final Group B clash of the CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Lusaka‚ Zambia‚ on Sunday.
“It’s quite a great achievement‚ not just for the Under-20 side‚ but for South African football in general‚” he said.
SA takes on hosts Zambia in the first semifinal on Wednesday at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. Senegal and Guinea will contest the other semifinal on Thursday at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Kickoff for both matches is 18h00. /