Inacio Miguel backs ‘passion’ after Chiefs teammates clash

Kaizer Chiefs captain Inacio Miguel says he was pleased to see Renaldo Leaner and Reeve Frosler show their frustration after the club’s 1-0 defeat by Red Arrows in the CAF Confederation Cup.

The two Amakhosi players were involved in a heated exchange immediately after last weekend’s first-leg defeat at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

Teammates Bruce Bvuma and Rushwin Dortley intervened as the argument continued, with footage of the incident later spreading widely on social media.

Miguel addressed the confrontation at a press conference in Durban on Thursday, ahead of the return fixture. Rather than viewing it as evidence of problems within the squad, the Angola defender described the incident as an emotional disagreement between players unhappy with the result.

“I saw the incident, and everybody saw it,” Miguel told reporters.

“Personally, I’m happy with this kind of behaviour. We felt the loss. Not only our supporters, but we also suffer; we also get disappointed and frustrated with the results.

“Unfortunately, it is something that happened on the field. There is nothing bad about the team; it is just a difference of opinions.”

Miguel said the footage had made the exchange appear more serious than it was.

“With the images and footage, people think the exchange was a mess, but it was just a difference of opinions. It is not a problem,” he added.

The Chiefs captain believes the anger displayed by the players can help the team respond, particularly after a difficult run of results.

“For me, I see the solution in that kind of behaviour, that passion that we have. Sometimes it is lacking, and I feel that we need more of it. We need more aggression; we need to be more passionate about results,” he said.

“Especially when losing a game like this, it is never good. I was happy about that incident, just to tell you that.

“The gents are frustrated, and we have a chance on Friday to change that.”

Chiefs under pressure

The incident came during a difficult spell for Fernando Da Cruz’s team, who have struggled to find consistency this season.

Chiefs have endured a widely publicised seven-match winless run in all competitions, increasing pressure on the technical team and adding to the frustration among the squad and supporters.

They now face Red Arrows F.C. in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The match is scheduled to begin at 18h00.

Amakhosi trail 1-0 from the first meeting and must overturn the deficit to reach the competition’s group stages.