City face long lay-off after Sundowns game moved

The postponement of their Absa Premiership fixture against Mamelodi Sundowns set for March 1 means a lengthy spell on the sidelines for struggling Cape Town City, but that could be a blessing in disguise for coach Jan Olde Riekerink.

City were ousted from the Nedbank Cup by second-tier Mbombela United in an embarrassing defeat, before losing at fellow strugglers Polokwane City this past weekend.

They will now not be in action again until a home clash with Bloemfontein Celtic at the Athlone Stadium on March 8, a break of 21 days for the side.

It also means they potentially only have two games between now April 4 when you factor in the Fifa International break in March, a huge amount of downtime in a seven week period.

They were due to host Sundowns at the start of March, but the latter’s commitments in the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League necessitated a change in that fixture.

“Our home fixture against Mamelodi Sundowns has been rescheduled,” City confirmed on Wednesday. “We are in close contact with the PSL and the opposition to find a suitable date to accommodate their CAF commitments.

“A [new] date will be confirmed once we receive confirmation from the PSL.”

City do not have a single win on the road this season, which has seen them sucked back into the relegation mix.

The club sit just four points above the relegation zone, and must still host Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United this campaign, a tough run of games.

They also travel away to Chippa United, Stellenbosch FC, Lamontville Golden Arrows and Highlands Park.