Chiefs’ Mthethwa demands all-out effort to overturn Red Arrows deficit

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Sibongiseni “Ox” Mthethwa says the team must give everything on the pitch to overturn their 1-0 deficit against Zambia’s Red Arrows in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Chiefs host Red Arrows in the second leg of their second preliminary-round tie at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday at 6pm, knowing victory is required to secure a place in the competition’s group stages.

Amakhosi were beaten in Ndola last Saturday and are without a win in their past four matches in all competitions, having drawn three and lost one.

Mthethwa believes Chiefs must prevent Red Arrows from scoring while matching their opponents’ intensity throughout the match.

“We’ve seen how they play, so now the challenge is to outrun them,” Mthethwa said. “We must also win every ball and make sure we don’t concede. We will die on that pitch if that is what we should do to win.

“We went to Zambia to win, but sometimes things don’t pan out the way we want. However, now we have a second chance to change our fate. It’s all in our hands, and it’s up to us to decide our fate.”

The midfielder also called for unity between the players and supporters as Chiefs seek to progress and ultimately challenge for the Confederation Cup title this season.

“We need to stand together as a team, and our fans must also rally behind us. We know the importance of winning this second leg because all we want is to make it to the group stages,” he said.

Chiefs’ stated ambition is to win the competition, but Mthethwa acknowledged that achieving that target will require hard work, beginning with the match against Red Arrows.

“Our main aim is to eventually win this Confederation Cup, so we need to pull up our socks and make sure we win the second leg,” he said.

“We know that good things don’t come easy, so we must sweat for this, and we are willing to do everything we can to win.”

After the Confederation Cup tie, Chiefs will turn their attention to the Carling Knockout. They host TS Galaxy in the first round at FNB Stadium next Tuesday.

The Soweto derby against their biggest rivals, Orlando Pirates, is also scheduled to take place at FNB Stadium a few days later.