On that weekend Sundowns have an away league fixture to play against Platinum Stars (February 18 at Royal Bafokeng Stadium) but that is a game that will now have to make way for the annual CAF Super Cup contest.
Sundowns are currently awaiting the winners of the Confederation Cup final between Congolese powerhouse TP Mazembe and Mouloudia Olympique de Bejaia of Algeria. The decisive leg will be played on Sunday afternoon in Lubumbashi with the first leg having ended 1-1.
As per CAF regulations, the winners of the more prestigious Champions League Sundowns will be at home in the Super Cup.
Already faced with plenty other challenges due to Sundowns’ terrific rise on the continent the PSL are still scratching their heads about how they will incorporate Sundowns’ international commitments into the domestic calendar.
The date (December 10) of this year’s Telkom Knockout final might have to be changed should Sundowns reach the deciding match as it clashes with the FIFA Club World Cup, being played from December 8-18 in Japan.
Sundowns will be in action on December 11 at the Suita City Stadium in Osaka with a quarter-final date against the winner of the tournament opener between Auckland City/host nation club (who will be the Japan’s J-League champions Urawa Reds or Kawasaki Frontale).
All ready new dates for league matches against SuperSport United (December 13) and Orlando Pirates (December 16) must be found while the game against Baroka on Wednesday, December 21 is still hanging in the balance as it will be played just three days after both the final and third place play-off matches at the Club World Cup, which are both set for December 18 in Yokohama.
This weekend Sundowns play in the Telkom Knockout quarter-finals against SuperSport United and after the FIFA calendar break they meet Kaizer Chiefs (November 19) and Golden Arrows (November 23). And if they have reached the last-four of the Telkom then they will be in semi-finals action on the weekend of November 26-27.
Three league matches against Ajax Cape Town (November 30), Free State Stars (December 2) and Bidvest Wits (December 7) will then follow before they leave for Japan.
CAF Champions League dates for next year will further disrupt the domestic fixture schedule.