Johannesburg – Kaizer Chiefs will be looking to defend their 1-0 lead against Wydad Athletic Club and make it all the way to a historic first CAF Champions League final when the two semi-finalists clash in the second leg tied at FNB Stadium on Saturday, kick-off is at 6pm.
It was a journey that started in Cameroon back in November when Kaizer Chiefs faced PWD Bamenda in the preliminary rounds of the 2020-21 CAF Champions League.
Now, this weekend Amakhosi will be looking to defend their 1-0 lead against Wydad Athletic Club and make it all the way to a historic first CAF Champions League final, Amakhosi explained on their club website, kaizerchiefsfc.com
Chiefs will be a tough opponent to overcome. But Amakhosi have proudly set a number of milestones on their CAF Champions League journey to date and will be looking to add a few more.
The first hurdle will be to overcome Wydad, who are facing a South African team in the CAF Champions League semi-finals for the third time. Wydad previously faced Mamelodi Sundowns at this stage of the tournament twice before in 2017 and 2018-19 – and progressed to the final on both occasions.
But Chiefs are looking to ensure that history does not repeat itself and create their own history as they look to cement a place amongst the best clubs on the continent.
Amakhosi have shown in the current campaign that they can stand their ground against the biggest teams on the continent.
The Glamour Boys have kept 10 clean-sheets in their 13 games in the CAF Champions League this season, with their run to the last four built on a solid defensive foundation, while a number of Chiefs players have contributed with vital goals.
Chiefs hosted Wydad at FNB Stadium earlier in the campaign in the group stages, a game Chiefs won 1-0, and they know they are in for a titanic battle this weekend.
Chiefs will take confidence from their very good CAF Champions League record at FNB Stadium, where they have only ever lost one of five games at the venue in the competition.
That solitary loss was against ASEC Mimosa in the first round in 2016 – a 1-0 loss.
Outside of that blemish, Chiefs have won 7 and drawn 3 Champions League games at their home venue.
Amakhosi’s record of CAF Champions League games in Johannesburg has seen them win 9 out of 13 games, to give them the belief that home comforts do make a big difference in the CAF Champions League.
Overall at home Chiefs have won 13 of their 18 home games in the competition, losing just 2 games and drawing 3, so home advantage does make a difference in African Club competition and it has been no different for Chiefs in the current campaign.
In this campaign, Chiefs have not lost any of their six home games, winning three and drawing three, managing to keep six clean-sheets at home.
A seventh clean sheet at FNB Stadium on Saturday would be most welcome and take the Amakhosi to the nirvana of a first Champions League final.
Other Amakhosi trivia is that in the previous five occasions when Chiefs have won an away leg of a CAF Champions League two legged tie, they have always progressed to the next round.
Should Chiefs reach the final, they will become only the second South African club, along with Orlando Pirates, to reach the final of two different African Cup Competitions, with Chiefs having previously appeared in – and won – the African Cup Winners Cup Final in 2001.
Getting to the CAF Champions League final will also see Chiefs become the third South African club to do so, along with Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.
The statistics make for positive reading, but the Amakhosi know it will count for nothing and they need to finish the job on the pitch.
– kaizerchiefsfc.com
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