Kaizer Chiefs’ difficult away record in the CAF Confederation Cup continued as they were beaten 1-0 by Red Arrows in Zambia, leaving Fernando Da Cruz’s side needing a strong response in the return leg.
The result means Amakhosi have now lost four of their past five away matches in the competition. Their only victory in that sequence has been overshadowed by a run of defeats that has again raised questions about their ability to perform consistently outside South Africa.
Kaizer Chiefs lost all three of their away fixtures in last season’s CAF Confederation Cup. Losses against Egyptian clubs Al Masry and Zamalek played a significant part in their failure to progress from the group stage.
Da Cruz said his team’s slow and physical approach in the opening half contributed to their latest setback. The French coach felt his players did not show enough intensity when competing for the ball.
“We played a tough first half with no aggression. We were not there inside the duels,” Da Cruz said as per KickOff.
The visitors improved after the interval, according to their manager, but they were unable to turn that improvement into enough opportunities to find an equaliser.
“In the second half, it was better. We didn’t create a lot of chances, but we made a better second half,” he added.
Da Cruz also identified the playing surface in Zambia as an additional difficulty for Kaizer Chiefs. He said the condition of the pitch prevented the team from executing the style of football they had planned.
“About the field, it was not a field for our advantage. It was not a very good field for us to develop our model game,” he said.
However, the coach accepted that his players had to cope with the circumstances rather than rely on them to explain the defeat. He added that the team had eventually adjusted to the conditions.
“But we must adapt, we must play with the conditions and the players adapted very well to the conditions,” Da Cruz said.
Kaizer Chiefs now face the task of overturning the one-goal deficit in the second leg in South Africa if they are to reach the CAF Confederation Cup group stages.
Amakhosi must win by at least two clear goals to qualify directly. A one-goal victory would make the aggregate score level, sending the tie to a penalty shootout if the scores remain level after extra time, where applicable.
