The Premier Soccer League was forced to make a U-turn and allow defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns to participate in the newly-formed African Football League (AFL).
Sundowns will face Atletico Petroleos de Luanda in the first leg in Angola on Saturday.
The league board of governors (BoG), which comprises 16 PSL teams and 16 first-division clubs, held an urgent virtual meeting on Friday where it finally endorsed Sundowns’ entry into the competition after bowing to pressure.
Two weeks ago, the same BoG dismissed with contempt the Brazilians’ application to take part. Sundowns requested the PSL to postpone and reschedule its league fixtures to accommodate them.
“After talks between Caf president Patrice Motsepe and the PSL chairman Irvin Khoza, the resolution from two weeks ago was withdrawn,” said a BoG member.
“Sundowns must talk to those clubs they were scheduled to face in the league.”
The other seven clubs to compete in the tournament are Al Ahly SC (Egypt), Enyimba FC (Nigeria), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Atletico Petroleos (Angola), Simba SC (Tanzania), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), and Wydad AC (Morocco). The winners will bank a massive R75-million cheque.
