Mamelodi Sundowns will have their toughest schedule to date this season starting on Wednesday, as head coach Miguel Cardoso made a "plea" to the PSL to manage their games "accordingly".
Starting on Wednesday in the Betway Premiership's Tshwane derby clash against SuperSport United, Sundowns are scheduled to play three games in a space of six days, with a titanic encounter against Orlando Pirates coming up on Saturday and TS Galaxy next Tuesday.
Ezimnyama, during the same week cycle will have only two matches against Sekhukhune United in midweek and after playing against The Brazilians on Saturday, will only return to action on 19 February.
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It will be for the first time this season that Masandawana have been squeezed to play three consecutive matches within six days, as Cardoso had apprehensions in his post-match TV interview on Sunday after a 4-0 win over Arrows, that the schedule is starting to be tough for them, should be "managed accordingly" especially with the CAF Champions League quarter-finals on the horizon.
However, Sundowns' plea to the PSL would most likely fall on deaf ears, as a precedent has already been set, with their title rivals Pirates, who already have played three straight games within a 48-hour turnaround, which usually means there's no time for training.
The Buccaneers had to endure this tough schedule between 19 and 25 October last year, where they lost 3-2 to Magesi in the Carling Knockout, bounced back with a 2-0 win over SuperSport United on 22 October and also edged AmaZulu 2-1 on 25 October, both in the league.
The Soweto giants have also played three games in seven days earlier this season back in September, when they edged Chippa United 2-1, narrowly beat Jwaneng Galaxy 1-0 and thrashed Polokwane City 3-0.
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The tightest fixture schedule for The Brazilians this season was three matches in seven days, only once so far in this campaign, back in October last year, after they beat Royal AM 2-1, Rise and Shine 1-0 and thrashed Cape Town City 3-0.
The Tshwane giants have always kept a big squad for such occasions but Cardoso has insisted that he would prefer to work with around 22 to 24 players, including goalkeepers, hence a number of players were given blessings to move on or find clubs on loan during the January transfer window, including the likes of Thembinkosi Lorch, Lebohang Maboe, Rushine De Reuck and Lesiba Nku.