Sundowns’ CAF Champions League trip set for R18 tickets in Angola

Mamelodi Sundowns’ CAF Champions League second qualifying-round first leg against Wiliete Sport Clube de Benguela will be staged at the Estadio Nacional da Tundavala in Lubango on October 18, with general admission tickets available for as little as R18.

The Angolan club has moved the fixture 350km from its regular home, the Estadio Nacional de Ombaka in Benguela, for what it describes as the biggest match in its short history.

The cheapest tickets cost 1000 Angolan Kwanza, approximately R18, during the presale period, which began on October 1 and closes on Tuesday, October 6.

Prices will rise to 2000 Angolan Kz, about R36, from Wednesday until October 12. They will then increase to 3000Kz, approximately R54, between October 13 and October 17.

The same ticket will cost 5000Kz, around R90, on matchday. The pricing structure is intended to encourage supporters to buy early for the match at the 20,000-capacity stadium.

VIP tickets begin at 100,000Kz, approximately R1,800, and will rise to 400,000Kz, around R7,200, for those purchasing on the day of the game.

Wiliete used the Estadio Nacional da Tundavala for their first qualifying-round home match against Seychelles club Foresters Mont Fleuri FC. It is one of only two stadiums in Angola approved by CAF.

The other is Estadio 11 de Novembro in the capital, Luanda, where Petro de Luanda play. That venue is 550km from Lubango.

The move to Lubango also creates a demanding travel schedule for Sundowns. Unless the South African club uses a chartered flight, it will play Orlando Pirates in Durban on October 10 and Richards Bay FC, also in Durban, on October 13 before returning to Johannesburg.

Sundowns would then need to travel to Luanda and connect to a flight for Lubango. There are no direct flights from Durban to any destination in Angola.

Wiliete have also announced plans to help supporters attend the return leg, which will be played at Loftus in Pretoria on October 24.

Funding has been secured to cover 80% of the cost of that trip, while the club has also made substantial bonuses available to its players for the first-leg meeting with Sundowns.