Kaizer Chiefs have received a timely boost ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup second-leg clash against Red Arrows of Zambia in the second preliminary round on Friday night, with goalkeeper Brandon Petersen and midfielder Lebohang Maboe returning to action after recent injury layoffs. The game will be played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium and will get underway at 6:00pm.
According to the club’s website, the experienced duo is part of the squad currently in Durban, preparing to face the Zambians in a decisive encounter that will determine Amakhosi’s immediate fate in this season’s continental competition. Both players featured in Thursday’s pre-match training session at the match venue, signalling their readiness for the crucial fixture.
Having lost the first leg away from home in Ndola, Zambia, Amakhosi will need to win by two or more goals to progress to the group stage. Chiefs cannot risk allowing their opponents to score what will be deemed valuable away goals as they look to extend their stay in the tournament.
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Chiefs are facing Zambian opponents for an eighth time in African Cup competition. Five of their previous seven games have come in the CAF Confederation Cup, four against Zesco and one against Arrows. Their other two games came in the 2000 CAF Cup against Nchanga Rangers. Overall, Chiefs have managed to win two games, draw one and lose four matches.
At home, Chiefs have one win in three games against Zambian teams, which came against Zesco at Moses Mabhida Stadium last season in the Confederation Cup group stages.
Chiefs are on a 12-game unbeaten home run in the African club competition. They have not lost at home in their last two campaigns in CAF club competitions, which cover the 2020/21 CAF Champions League and last season’s CAF Confederation Cup.
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In this unbeaten run, Chiefs have managed to win seven games and have drawn five. In total, in the CAF Confederation Cup, Chiefs have played nine games at home, winning six, drawing once and losing just twice, scoring in all of these games.
Chiefs lost the first leg 1-0 away, with Alassane Diarra heading home from a 76th-minute corner to score the game’s only goal. Chiefs have previously lost the first leg of a CAF tie eight times and have failed to progress on seven occasions. Chiefs, though, did manage to turn around the last tie in which they faced a first-leg deficit, which was in last season’s Confederation Cup first preliminary round against Kabuscorp. A 1-0 away loss in the first leg was followed by a 1-0 win in the second. Chiefs won the tie on penalties, the Club’s only continental game decided on penalties.
Amakhosi will reach the group stage of the Confederation Cup for a second successive season with a win by two or more goals. A 1-0 win for Chiefs will send the game to a penalty shoot-out; there is no extra time in two-legged CAF competition knockout matches. A single-goal win for Chiefs, with both teams scoring, will see Arrows advance on away goals. Even though the aggregate score would be tied.
- Kaizer Chiefs will face Red Arrows of Zambia in the CAF Confederation Cup second-leg on Friday at Moses Mabhida Stadium at 6:00pm.
- Goalkeeper Brandon Petersen and midfielder Lebohang Maboe have returned to the squad after injury layoffs and trained on Thursday.
- Chiefs lost the first leg 1-0 away to Red Arrows and need a win by two or more goals to progress to the group stage.
- Chiefs are on a 12-game unbeaten home run in African club competitions and have won seven and drawn five of these matches.
- A 1-0 win for Chiefs will force a penalty shoot-out, while a single-goal win with both teams scoring will see Red Arrows advance on away goals.
