Kaizer Chiefs will not fear African champions Sundowns, says Miguel

Kaizer Chiefs defender Inacio Miguel says his side will show no fear when they face newly crowned African champions Mamelodi Sundowns in a highly anticipated Betway Premiership meeting at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Mamelodi Sundowns recently won the CAF Champions League and will arrive as champions of Africa, but Miguel insists that achievement will not alter Chiefs’ approach or ambition.

Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz has challenged his players to raise their performance to the level required in the continent’s premier competition when they take on one of Africa’s strongest teams.

The match represents an early-season examination of Da Cruz’s squad, as Chiefs attempt to assess their progress against opponents who have established themselves as a dominant force in South African and African football.

Speaking at Naturena Village, Miguel was asked by iDiski Times about Da Cruz’s message and how the team should approach Saturday’s contest.

“My understanding is that we need to respect that Mamelodi Sundowns won the Champions League, Sundowns is Sundowns but at the same time we are Kaizer Chiefs, you know, we also fight for our goals,” Miguel said.

The Angola international accepted that Sundowns deserve recognition for their continental success, while making clear that respect would not become intimidation.

“We fear no-one,” he added. “I think the message is very clear, we fear no-one, no matter if they are the champions of Africa or the PSL, we will face them as we face Sekhukhune as I said before.

“We will start the game with the same ambition, with the same spirit of fighting. We go in for every duel and that’s the message very clear from the coach,” Miguel said.

Chiefs are also facing the fixture during a demanding spell in their calendar. Da Cruz has previously highlighted that his team are the only PSL side required to play three matches in six days, leaving them with one fewer day to recover than their opponents.

Despite the disadvantage, the Chiefs coach has declined to treat the schedule as an excuse. Instead, he views the meeting with Sundowns as a chance to establish whether his players can compete at the highest level.

Miguel’s comments suggest that the manager’s message has been clearly understood within the squad: acknowledge Sundowns’ achievements, but approach them with the same determination shown against any other opponent.

Chiefs will now look to translate that mindset into a performance at FNB Stadium, where the fixture is expected to be one of the most intriguing games of the early PSL season.

Sundowns will carry the status of African champions into the encounter, but Miguel’s position is unequivocal: Amakhosi fear no-one.