Miguel insists Kaizer Chiefs want the trophy as Toyota Cup clash with Scottland looms

Kaizer Chiefs defender Inacio Miguel says Sunday’s Toyota Cup meeting with Zimbabwean champions Scottland at Royal Bafokeng Stadium is “no friendly” as Amakhosi look to restore pride after a barren campaign.

Chiefs take on Scottland – who feature former Amakhosi favourites Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat – in Rustenburg at 15:00 (SA time), with Miguel adamant the pre-season fixture carries competitive weight.

“I can’t say it’s a friendly match because we have a cup to win, more for ourselves than for our supporters because we have to redeem ourselves from what happened last season [where they finished the season trophy-less],” the defender said.

“I don’t see this as a friendly game … we are ready to play it as a league game because in the next week we start the league, so this is a perfect game to lay a foundation.”

New era under Fernando da Cruz

The match comes at the start of a new chapter for Chiefs under French coach Fernando da Cruz, who has taken charge ahead of the new campaign.

Chiefs have just returned from a pre-season camp in Spain, where Da Cruz began implementing his methods and getting to know his squad before the domestic season kicks off.

Miguel underlined that the Toyota Cup offers an early test of how quickly the players have absorbed their new coach’s ideas, as well as a chance to set the tone for the coming months by lifting silverware.

Physical battle expected

Sunday’s opponents arrive as Zimbabwean league winners and CAF Champions League qualifiers, and Miguel is braced for a demanding contest against Norman Mapeza’s side.

“I know Scottland are a very physical team. They are the champions of Zimbabwe and they qualified for the CAF Champions League, so obviously they will give us some difficult moments, but we’re ready for the challenge,” he said.

Scottland’s financial backing and the presence of high-profile names such as Musona and Billiat add further intrigue, with both players set for a reunion with their former club.

Mixed Spanish tour, but focus on philosophy

During their time in Spain, Chiefs played three warm-up matches against Glasgow Rangers, Al-Kholood of Saudi Arabia and Spanish side Elche.

Amakhosi failed to register a win, drawing one game and losing two, but Miguel insisted those results did not concern the squad or technical team as they prioritised bedding in Da Cruz’s approach.

“For the supporters, I understand that they want to see Chiefs winning the whole time,” Miguel said. “But at this moment of the season, we are preparing something, so we didn’t focus a lot on the results, rather on the strategies and the ideas of the new coach, understanding what we have to do differently.”

With the league campaign beginning the following week, Miguel views the Toyota Cup as both a competitive curtain-raiser and a crucial final rehearsal.

For Chiefs, who ended last season without a trophy, the encounter offers an early opportunity to show signs of improvement, while for Scottland it represents a chance to measure themselves against one of South Africa’s biggest clubs ahead of their own continental commitments.