There is a growing challenge for Sundowns to secure fixtures as a crowded schedule approaches.

As a result of Mamelodi Sundowns' participation in a number of different competitions, the club's fixture schedule is beginning to experience an increasing amount of pressure, which may cause the club to experience a busy period on the domestic calendar.

This season, the Brazilians are once again competing on multiple fronts, with their Betway Premiership campaign running concurrently with their commitments to the cup and the continental competition schedule. It is possible that this combination will force the club into a busy stretch of the season, which will present difficulties not only for the players but also for the Premier Soccer League's fixture planners.

The effects of having a packed schedule have already been felt by Sundowns on their schedule. Their schedule for the month of September consisted of a number of league matches prior to the official FIFA international window, which was then followed by their FIFA Intercontinental Cup assignment against Al Ahli, which they won by a score of 2-1. Additionally, they are expected to continue their commitments to the continental level, with CAF Champions League qualification matches scheduled for the month of October.

It is in the month of October that the situation becomes especially intriguing. On October 10, Sundowns are scheduled to compete against Orlando Pirates in the final of the MTN8. Three days later, on October 13, they will travel to Richards Bay to compete in the Betway Premiership. After that, they have commitments to play Wiliete Benguela in the CAF Champions League qualification match on October 17 and October 24.

This sequence leaves little room for recovery and may result in additional rearrangements in the event that additional competitions or postponements have an impact on the domestic program.

It has already been brought to everyone's attention that the PSL's official calendar for the 2026/27 season will be extremely packed. In contrast, the Carling Knockout will take place from October 24 through December 9, while the MTN8 final is scheduled to take place on October 10. Considering that the league itself will continue until May 2027, clubs that are competing in multiple competitions will need to carefully manage their schedules in order to compete correctly.

As of right now, the Sundowns have a league schedule that includes matches against Durban City on November 1, Kruger United on November 28, Polokwane City on December 5, Sekhukhune United on December 15, and Stellenbosch FC on December 18.

It is possible that the situation will ultimately become a more significant obstacle for the domestic calendar, rather than merely being a problem for Sundowns. Additionally, in order to accommodate continental commitments, it is possible that postponements will be required, which could result in a backlog of fixtures later on in the season. In light of this, the most difficult challenge that Miguel Cardoso, the coach, will face is managing his team while simultaneously maintaining the team's competitiveness in each and every competition.

Because Sundowns are still trying to achieve success on multiple fronts, their demands for fixtures have the potential to become one of the most important topics of discussion throughout the campaign as the season progresses.

Source:

https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2104526672879825132