Barcelona will travel to South Africa with their big stars
The Spanish giants will travel to Johannesburg to face the South African Premier League champions Mamelodi Sundowns on 16 May.
Mamelodi Sundowns’ president Patrice Motsepe said on Thursday that Barcelona would bring their big stars, along with 100 top officials.
The Pretoria side will play against the LaLiga champions in the Nelson Mandela Centenary Cup at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Wednesday 16 May.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino, as well as his CAF counterpart, Ahmad Ahmad, are both expected at the FNB Stadium.
Barca will arrive in South Africa on Tuesday night and take to the field the next day.
Full-strength Culés
In the official announcement of the encounter, Motsepe indicated that Barcelona will bring a full-strength team.
‘That’s partly why we had to give them a little bit more time to make sure that – and as I said‚ this is the year of the World Cup – we get the very best‚’ the Downs’ president said.
‘And that is the undertaking that we have received. So indeed, it is the very‚ very best. Because it’s very important.
‘It’s also important that in terms of our arrangements and specifically agreements that we have we’ve got to mention those specific players‚ as we’ve done in the past.’
This will be the second time that Sundowns will host Barcelona for a friendly game, having previously met in 2007, a match that the Catalans won 2-1.
Tickets selling like hot cakes
According to the Sundowns’ CEO Sizwe Nzimande, tickets for the match are selling at a very rapid rate.
‘Tickets are currently selling at 216 per minute, which is like the fastest at Computicket,’ he said.
Tickets cost from R40 to R550 and there are still a few available at Computicket.
Barca fans from outside South Africa will be able to watch the game live on Barca TV.