Kaizer Chiefs will be heading into tonight’s encounter against Zamalek oozing with confidence as they only need a draw to officially confirm their spot in the CAF Confederations Cup knockout stages. Kick-off is at 6:00pm (SA time).
This will mark a historic moment for the club, as they will qualify for the Last 16 of the Confederations Cup in their first appearance in the continental competition.
Amakhosi are leading their group with 10 points after five games, with three wins, one draw, and a single defeat. Zamalek follows in second place with eight points, while Al Masry sits third with seven points, and Zesco United anchors the table from the bottom with three points.
Ahead of the game, Chiefs legend Itumeleng Khune said, despite his former side requiring only a point to advance to the next stage, they must go for the jugular against Zamalek in Egypt this evening.
“Chiefs have done well in the Confederation Cup so far, and they deserve to go all the way to lift the cup. Chiefs are a big team, so they must believe they can beat Zamalek on Saturday. As a big team, you can’t aim for a draw,” Khune said.
“Yes, I know a draw would be enough to qualify for the knockout phase, but the mentality should be to win every game irrespective of who you play against.”
Amakhosi team manager Bobby Motaung also had some time to weigh in on how far the team has come in the competition, stating that he is adamant they will secure a spot in the next round.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t score the third goal [in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Al Masry] to qualify as early as [last] Sunday. But I think the door is still open for us to qualify. It’s a good challenge for us. We are positive about going there, and we will fight,” Motaung said.
Amakhosi co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youseff will be without defenders Inacio Miguel, who will be on the sidelines nursing an injury, and Aden McCarthy, who is suspended after accumulating multiple cautions.
Should Chiefs manage to get a positive result, they will be the only team representing South Africa in the competition, after Stellenbosch FC got eliminated last weekend.
Zamalek and Amakhosi will collide at the Suez Stadium in Ismailia, with the game set to get underway at 6pm.
