The release of the fixtures for the new English Premiership campaign is a highlight in the UK and the 2009 Vodacom Challenge will be perfect preparation for Manchester City boss Mark Hughes for no other reason than he will come up against South Africans in his first few matches of the new season!

City open their Premiership campaign just a few weeks after the Vodacom Challenge with an away trip to Blackburn Rovers on 15 August, for whom Benni McCarthy and Elrio van Heerden play.  Their next match a week later is against newly-promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers, while the third fixture sees them come up against Bafana Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena who has just joined Portsmouth on the English South Coast.

They were due to play Steven Pienaar’s Everton on August 19 as well, but the match has been postponed as the Goodison Park club are involved in the inaugural Europa League.

One thing is for sure, Hughes will know a lot about South African players by the end of the Vodacom Challenge where his side will do battle with Orlando Pirates in Polokwane (18 July), Kaizer Chiefs in Durban (21 July) and then one of the Soweto giants in the final in Tshwane on Saturday, 25 July.