Mamelodi Sundowns book charter flight for Wiliete CAF Champions League tie

Mamelodi Sundowns will travel to Angola on a chartered plane for Sunday’s CAF Champions League preliminary-round match against Wiliete, with coach Miguel Cardoso saying the club could not afford to leave the journey to chance.

Cardoso confirmed the arrangements after Sundowns’ 4-1 Betway Premiership win over Richards Bay on the latest matchday. Wiliete, who are based in Benguela, currently lead the Angolan Girabola with 16 points from six matches and have not yet been beaten.

Their strong domestic form has made them a serious test for the reigning CAF Champions League holders, particularly as Sundowns prepare for a demanding continental assignment following recent fixtures against Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 final and Richards Bay in the Premiership.

Cardoso said the South African side had to respect the quality of their opponents and ensure their preparation reflected the potential threat.

Cardoso calls for maximum preparation

“First of all, it’s important that people understand that I have been speaking about that. We are speaking about a team that is leading the Angolan championship. It is a team that we have to have a lot of respect,” Cardoso said.

“When you speak about respect of an opponent, it means level of preparation we need to take ourselves to the limit.”

Sundowns could have faced a complicated journey had they chosen not to charter a flight. The alternative would have involved flying to Angola’s capital, Luanda, before taking another flight to Benguela.

Cardoso said the club had investigated travel conditions by sending staff to watch several of Wiliete’s matches, but delays on some of those flights highlighted the risks involved.

“I am thankful to my club that understand that we need to have a charter to travel to Angola. It’s clear to explain the flights in Angola. We tried to have our people go to see several matches (of Wiliete in Angola) and some of those flights were delayed, so we could not risk not to travel on a charter because it’s quite tricky to fly inside Angola,” he said.

The charter will also allow Sundowns to return to South Africa immediately after the match, giving the squad more time to manage its schedule.

“We needed to control that, so the club made that effort. So we are going to fly on a charter, which allows us to comeback immediately after the match back to South Africa. There are days enough to manage,” Cardoso added.

The decision comes as Sundowns seek to negotiate a potentially difficult continental tie while continuing to cope with a congested domestic programme.