Sundowns vs Barcelona game confirmed

The worst kept secret in South African soccer was authenticated on Monday when Mamelodi Sundowns sponsors MTN announced that the PSL champions over the past two seasons would be playing celebrated Spanish giants FC Barcelona at Loftus next Wednesday.

Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe had boasted about the impending fixture two weeks ago at a club celebration following the retention of the Premier League title -- revealing in all but name that the Pretoria club had secured a veritable coup by bringing Barcelona to South Africa with former 'World Player of the Year' Ronaldinho and the rest of their conglomerate of international stars like Samuel Eto'o, Leonel Messi and Deco.

And while the MTN release that next week's drawcard would draw "millions of soccer fans to Loftus" went more than a little overboard, there is no doubting the enormity of an occasion that is seen also in the context of the "war" with cellphone rivals Vodacom.

It was only last week that Vodacom-sponsored Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates announced they would be bringing out English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur to compete in next month's pre-season Vodacom Challenge - and the Barcelona gambit is seen as upstaging this initiative.

CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE

What prompted many to doubt Motsepe's declaration is the fact that Barcelona are still at this moment engaged in a desperate, but what now appears forlorn battle to retain Spain's championship title when they play their last La Liga game of the season against relegation-doomed Gimnastic on Sunday.

Barcelona and their great rivals, Real Madrid, currently have the same number of points in the title race, but although Barcelona have a far superior goal-difference, the system used in Spain to decide the championship when teams are level on points is firstly by taking into account head-to-head results between the teams.

And utilising this method instead of that which is practiced in most other countries means that Real Madrid will be champions if they beat Mallorca in a home game on Sunday.