Orlando Pirates will join Mamelodi Sundowns in chasing big money this season with the two clubs looking to stand their ground in the CAF Champions League this year.
Pirates are not just in the Champions League to make numbers but have good reason to feel they can stand up to any opponent and remain alive past the group stage.
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Bucs have done it all in this competition before: winners, runners-up, semi-finalists, quarterfinalists, group stage, second round, and first round, so nothing is new for the club in this space.
With the planning that they have made, they will play in Algiers on November 26 (21:00) against CR Belouizdad, then host Al Ahly at Orlando on December 7 (15:00) hoping the weather conditions give them an edge against the Egyptians.
The end of the first set of fixtures that they have confirmed will come with a trip to the scenic city of Abidjan, where Stade d'Abidjan will be the opponents on December 14.
After that, they will play two Champions League matches in a row at home, before travelling to Cairo on the last day.
Just like Sundowns, Pirates are already guaranteed USD700 000 (approx. R12,7 million), which is paid out for finishing third and fourth in the group.
The quarterfinal purse is at USD900 000 (approx. R16,3 million), while the semi-finalists get USD1,2 million (approx. R21,7 million), runners-up USD2 million (approx. R36,17 million) and champions USD4 million (approx. R72,34 million).
So, it will be R12,7 million at worst and R72,34 million at best on top of the R10 million already in the bag from the MTN8 and the R20 million that they are chasing in the Betway Premiership.
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Pirates have the domestic league title as the priority but will find just as much pleasure in progressing in the Champions League.
That is over R100 million, minus what will be on offer in the Nedbank Cup later in the season.
Sundowns will have a similar chase plus the fat participation cheque at the FIFA Club World Cup, where mere participation is around R1 billion.