Orlando Pirates' long-distance flight across the continent to Algiers as they return to action next week will be of interest in matters relating to distance travelled.
Pirates will take connecting flights to reach the Algerian capital in what will be their first trip to North Africa in two-and-a-half years.
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For the CAF Champions League in particular, this will be the first in 27 years.
Jose Riveiro and his charges open their Group C CAF Champions League campaign against CR Belouizdad at Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 on Tuesday, November 26 (21:00), which comes exactly three weeks since they were last in action.
Bucs have never played CRB and last played Algerian opposition in the Champions League as far back as 1997 when they were in the same group with USM Alger.
They lost 2-1 playing at the same stadium located in the suburb of Ben Aknoun and it was through a horrible group stage campaign in which they ended bottom with a single point from six games.
That September 1997 trip featured, amongst others, William Okpara, Gavin Lane, Willem Jackson, John Moeti, Phiri Tsotetsi, Brandon Silent, and Dumisa Ngobe, who scored the solitary goal.
After that game, Pirates then won 1-0 against SuperSport United in the Rothmans Cup Last 16.
They have had two other Algerian opponents in the CAF Confederation Cup, and this was in more recent times.
In the 2021/22 CAF Confederation Cup, the Soweto giants had Algerian club JS Saoura in their group and won both games 2-0.
The away match was played at the same venue – Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 – with Ntsikelelo Nyauza and Kabelo Dlamini scoring the goals as Pirates ultimately reached the final.
Then in the 2020/21 season, they had another Algerian opponent in ES Setif in the group stage of the same second-tier CAF competition.
Both games finished goalless, but Coronavirus-related issues meant the Algerians chose to play their home match in Accra, Ghana.
Based on travels to the region of North Africa where Algeria is located, Pirates last went to that part of the continent in May 2022 to play Libyan club Al Ahli Tripoli.
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They won 2-0 in Benghazi in what was the first leg of the 2021/22 Confederation Cup semi-final.
The Buccaneers should already have all their travel arrangements in place by now for the next trip up north to the Mediterranean coast city of Algiers, which will start over the weekend at OR Tambo and end at Houari Boumediene Airport.