Red Arrows coach Chisi Mbewe says his side should have scored three goals against Kaizer Chiefs after settling for a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary-round tie.
Alassane Diarra’s 77th-minute strike gave the Zambian side a narrow advantage on Saturday afternoon, but Mbewe believes Red Arrows could have taken a commanding lead to South Africa if they had been more clinical.
Kaizer Chiefs must now win by at least two clear goals in the second leg at FNB Stadium to overturn the deficit and reach the next stage of the competition.
Mbewe said Red Arrows had prepared specifically for the challenge posed by the South African club, whose experience and maturity in continental football had been taken into account.
“Coming into this game, we knew it was not going to be an easy encounter, considering the experience and maturity Kaizer Chiefs have in this competition. We planned for them,” Mbewe told the club’s media team.
The Red Arrows coach was pleased with the effort of his players, despite their failure to convert several opportunities.
“I am happy with the way the boys fought and approached the game. Despite missing several chances, they showed great commitment and created numerous opportunities,” he said.
Mbewe acknowledged that Red Arrows had been aiming for a more decisive result, with three goals identified as the target before the match.
The hosts’ failure to add to Diarra’s goal has left the tie finely balanced, giving Kaizer Chiefs a realistic opportunity to overturn the result in Johannesburg.
“Sometimes, that is the nature of football. You can create so many chances and end up scoring just one goal,” Mbewe said.
“Our target was to score three goals in this game and you could see by the chances we created.”
Despite holding a first-leg lead, Mbewe warned his players that the tie remains unresolved and urged them to maintain their focus for the trip to South Africa.
“I think the message to the players is loud and clear. We played the first half of the game. We need very strong mental strength when we travel to South Africa, we don’t need to be complacent,” he added.
Red Arrows will travel to Johannesburg for the decisive second leg at FNB Stadium, where Kaizer Chiefs will attempt to overturn the 1-0 deficit and keep their hopes of reaching the CAF Confederation Cup group stages alive.
