Mamelodi Sundowns’ opponents in the quarter-finals of the Caf Champions League, Egyptian side Al Ahly, have requested that Caf change the date for their upcoming clash.

The match-up was scheduled to take place on Friday 5 April, but Al Ahly have asked Africa’s footballing authority to change the game to 6 April as they are only set to arrive in South Africa on the 4th.

‘There are difficulties in playing the game on 5 April, as we are supposed to arrive in South Africa on the fourth,’ a statement reads on Al Ahly’s website.

According to the club’s football director, Said Abdelhafiz, the club’s players will not have sufficient time to recover from their travels.

‘The long flight to South Africa will cause great pressure on the players, as they won’t have the needed rest before the match,’ he added.

‘I am hoping the Caf will appreciate our circumstances and postpone the game for one day,’ Abdelhafiz concluded.

The quarter-final clash will be the first time these two teams have met since 2007, when the North Africans defeated Downs 4-2 on aggregate.

Photo: EPA/KHALED ELFIQI