The 2016-17 PSL season faces a fixture headache without a ball having being kicked after Zimbabwe booked their place in the Afcon 2017.

Added to Zimbabwe’s qualification for the continental showpiece, the league’s authorities will also need to factor in the Rio Olympics when scheduling the new season’s fixtures with the league already set to start a month later than in previous seasons.

Zimbabwe’s qualification means a host of top clubs are set to lose star players including the likes of PSL Player of the Season Khama Billiat, Evans Rusike, Cuthbert Malajila, and top Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Willard Katsande.

PSL clubs like Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, Bidvest Wits, Orlando Pirates and Maritzburg United are all among the clubs who could have their key players missing for league action, reports KickOff.

Zimbabwe qualified for Afcon 2017 with a 3-0 win over Malawi on Sunday, and included as many as eight players that ply their trade in the Absa Premiership.

International breaks imposed by Fifa over the course of the season – to make time for various international qualifiers – are also set to exacerbate fixture congestion.