MAMELODI Sundown have decided to fly their key players straight to Dar es Salaam instead of returning to South Africa with the rest of South Africa’s national team.

According to iDiski Times, Mamelodi Sundowns made special travelling arrangements for the seven Bafana Bafana stars in their squad ahead of the CAF Champions League clash against Young Africans SC, also termed Yanga, on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Grant Kekana, Aubrey Modiba, Thapelo Morena, Terrence Mashego, Teboho Mokoena, and Themba Zwane were part of the South Africa national team that settled for a thrilling 3-3 draw with Algeria in an international friendly in Algiers on Tuesday night.

Williams, Modiba, Kekana Mokoena, and Zwane started the game and all played 90 minutes. Zwane scored a brace.

Defender Mashego was an unused substitute while  Morena came on in the second in the last 17 minutes of the game.

All seven players left Algiers immediately after the game and are scheduled to arrive in Dar es Salaam on Thursday at dawn.

The decision to fly straight to Dar instead of returning to South Africa with the rest of the international team is meant to avoid the delays that could have affected Sundowns' preparations.

According to the original travelling arrangements, these players were scheduled to only arrive in Tanzania a day before the first leg.

The experienced septet was pivotal in steering Bafana Bafana to their first semi-final appearance in 24 years at the 2024 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Ivory Coast in February- finishing third after a penalty shootout win over DR Congo.

The South African giants are still chasing their first CAF Champions League title since 2016.

Having won the inaugural African Football League tournament last year, Sundowns have firmly set their eyes on the elusive second CAF Champions League title.

Last year they were eliminated at the semi-final stage by Morocco’s Wydad AC.

They have dominated the Group Stage for many seasons but come short at the decisive knockout hurdles.

Against Yanga- who are coincidentally managed by Miguel Gamondi who won the Premier Soccer League with Sundowns alongside Neil Tovey as co-coaches in 2006- they will have the benefit of playing the second leg at home next week.