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Champions Mamelodi Sundowns return to work after only a week off

Newly crowned champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Picture credits: Gallo Images
Newly crowned champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Picture credits: Gallo Images

Newly crowned champions Mamelodi Sundowns will return to work on Wednesday after just a one week break following the Premier Soccer League awards last month.

But the vast majority of their squad will not be there as coach Pitso Mosimane has given all the players who competed in African Nations Cup qualifiers at the weekend until next Monday to take a brief break from the game.

Keegan Dolly‚ Hlompho Kekana‚ Tebogo Langerman‚ Ramahlwe Mphahlele‚ Themba Zwane (Bafana Bafana)‚ Khama Billiat and Cuthbert Malajila (Zimbabwe)‚ Mogakolodi Ngele (Botswana)‚ Antony Laffor (Liberia)‚ Kennedy Mweene (Zambia) and Denis Onyango (Uganda) were all on international duty at the weekend.

It will leave Sundowns with a threadbare squad this week and with just two days of full training before next Wednesday’s departure for Algeria for their opening match of the group phase of the African Champions League.

Sundowns were given a reprieve after opponents AS Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo were disqualified for using a suspended player in the early rounds.

The Brazilians were handed a surprise entry into the last eight of the continent’s top club competition after they had been eliminated in the preliminary phase.

It has meant having to cancel holiday plans after they secured the 2015-16 PSL title.

Sundowns play their first Group B game away in Setif on Saturday‚ June 18‚ with a late evening kick off because Ramadan is being marked in Algeria.

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