The prioritised continental commitments lined up for Mamelodi Sundowns are threatening to cause fixture tension in the domestic league going into the New Year with the champions already going through a two-month long break without playing in the DStv Premiership.
Sundowns last played on for domestic league action on September 27 when they made light work of Stellenbosch.
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Since then, the champions have played eight games and none of them have been in the DStv Premiership.
With the league match against AmaZulu – which was scheduled for Wednesday – now postponed to December 6, Sundowns will have spent two months without playing league action by the time they play their next match in the DStv Premiership.
That match will be against SuperSport United on November 28.
This Tshwane derby contest will fall in between The Brazilians hosting FC Nouadhibou from Mauritania on November 24/25 in the CAF Champions League group stages and then travelling to Lubumbashi, DR Congo where TP Mazembe will be waiting on December 1/2.
Upon their arrival from Lubumbashi, Sundowns will proceed to Durban to play Usuthu.
After that, Downs will host Pyramids on December 8/9 pushing away their league match against Cape Town Spurs that had been pencilled in for December 9.
This will mean the next league match that Rulani Mokwena's men then play is on Christmas Eve away at Cape Town City.
In between Christmas and New Year, Sundowns will then have to play Moroka Swallows (December 27) and Polokwane City (December 30).
Domestic football will only then resume on February 13 after the AFCON finals in Cote d'Ivoire.
The issues pertaining to Sundowns fixtures will not be over by then as the reverse fixture against AmaZulu on March 2 will have to make way for Champions League match day number six.
On that March 1-3 weekend, Sundowns host TP Mazembe.
If the African Football League finalists then proceed into the Champions League knockout stages, games against SuperSport (March 30) and Cape Town Spurs (April 6) will have to make way.
The match against Richards Bay on April 3 will be left hanging depending on Sundowns' Champions League quarterfinal programme.
Then if the men from Chloorkop proceed into the semi-finals like they are expected to then games against Moroka Swallows (April 16) and Sekhukhune United (April 27) will also be affected.
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The biggest headache will be if Sundowns then reach the Champions League final as this will affect the PSL's programme of playing the last two set of fixtures on the same days on May 18 and 25.
These dates clash with the two legs of the Champions League final scheduled for May 19 and 26.