Johannesburg – Kaizer Chiefs hope to snap up another memorable victory to reach the final of CAF Champions League at the expense of their north African opponents Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco in the crucial semi-final, second leg clash at FNB Stadium on Saturday at 6pm.
Chiefs are going into the second leg on the back of a 1-0 first-leg win over the Red Castle away in Casablanca, courtesy of a first-half strike by their dependable striker Samir Nurkovic last Saturday.
The Glamour Boys have outdone themselves in the current edition of the competition after previously failing on five occasions to go past the first round.
On the domestic front, the Naturena-based side experienced a rather dismal PSL season, under-fired coach Gavin Hunt, struggling to even make the top eight of the Premiership until the last game of the season.
Left-back Yagan Sasman knows the significance of beating Wydad for the second time if they are to achieve their ambition of reaching the final of Africa’s prestigious inter-club competition.
On the condition they succeed, Amakhosi are likely to face either multi-decorated SA coach Pitso Mosimane’s powerhouse Al Ahly or the other giants, Esperance of Tunisia in the final.
Also read: Chiefs ready to achieve another milestone in Champions League journey
Twenty-four-year-old defender Sasman said he expects a challenging match-up after being given a rare start by Chiefs assistant coach Arthur Zwane against Wydad in the first leg.
“It was a lovely experience to play, we got an away goal and now we have one step into the final. So it’s one game to go [before the final]. A good result will be perfect for us again,” said Sasman.
The Chiefs stopper was substituted in the second-half following a knock but he is optimistic he will be fit and available for selection on Saturday.
“It was a hard-fought battle, we came out and won the game by one goal. I have not played in awhile, you know. [But] I gave a good 60 minutes, I pulled up when called. The [injury] is nothing major,” he said.
“We are well prepared, we are ready for them. We know what to expect from Wydad. The mood is good [in the camp], we are working hard together, we are preparing hard for the match.”
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