Mamelodi Sundowns to face FC Barcelona

The much-anticipated match between the Absa Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns and the Spanish giants FC Barcelona will take place right on the South’s doorstep.

The match will take place on May 16 which will form part of the Nelson Mandela Centenary celebrations. The match starts at 6pm and gates will open well in time for the stadium to fill up before kick-off.

The conceptualisation, planning and implementation of the MSFC vs FCB game would not have been possible without tough negotiations and planning from Mamelodi Sundowns president and chairperson of the Motsepe Foundation Dr Patrice Motsepe, together with the Nelson Mandela Foundations and FNB Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA).

The clash will be held at the FNB Stadium just after the conclusion of the 2017/2018 PSL season and the commencement of the CAF Champions League. The match will be the second time the two teams have faced-off against each other, with the first one taking place in the winter of 2007 and FC Barcelona coming out victorious on the day.

Motsepe said: “Mamelodi Sundowns are honoured to pay tribute to the humble role in the Nelson Mandela Centenary Celebrations in honour of our icon Nelson Mandela who was respected and inspired people throughout the world.”

It was also revealed that FC Barcelona will send their best team with well-known players in the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez making their appearance during the match. Motspepe said the fans can get excited about this news as the best team in La Liga will descend on South African shores this coming Wednesday.

The director of La Liga Africa, Antonio Barradas, also said the top players will compete against Sundowns. He even mentioned Lionel Messi by name, which poses a mammoth task for head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns Pitso Mosimane, but he is clearly also excited to field his best team to face the giants of Europe, keeping in mind that the team from Pretoria also needs to build on their reputation on the Africa continent.

He needs to find a plan to stop the Argentine magician and the ruthless threat of Barcelona’s attack.

Motsepe also thanked the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and South African Football Association (Safa), as well as the other stakeholders, for their contribution making this dream come true in the very short space of time for South African soccer fans.

Tickets are selling fast. It is important for the fans to buy at the well-known ticket outlets to avoid the disappointment of not having a valid ticket. Security will be sharpened and road closures will take place from early hours of the afternoon of May 16. Negotiations with Prasa and SMSA are underway for the transporting the fans from as far as Pretoria to Nasrec.

Match tickets will be as follows:

Level 5 – R40

Level 2 – R150

Level 1 West – R550

Level 1 East – R50

Level 1 North and South – R350

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