Kaizer Chiefs face Red Arrows test after mixed record against Zambian clubs

Kaizer Chiefs will look to build on last season’s success against Zambian opposition when they visit Red Arrows in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary-round tie on Saturday.

Fernando Da Cruz will take a 23-man squad to Ndola for the match at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, with Chiefs seeking an away result that can give them an advantage before the return fixture in South Africa.

Chiefs have endured an inconsistent record against Zambian clubs in continental competition. Across six previous meetings, Amakhosi have won two, drawn one and lost three, scoring four goals and conceding seven.

Their first encounters came against Nchanga Rangers in the 2000 CAF Cup. Chiefs lost the home leg 2-0 before drawing 0-0 away, bringing their campaign to an early end.

They suffered another setback against ZESCO United in the 2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup. A 3-1 defeat away from home was followed by a 2-1 loss at home, with ZESCO progressing 5-2 on aggregate.

Chiefs improved that record last season, defeating ZESCO United 1-0 in both the away and home matches during the Confederation Cup group stage.

Those victories provide encouragement before the meeting with Red Arrows, although the Zambian side will present a fresh challenge and will be determined to make an impact in the competition.

Red Arrows reached the second preliminary round by beating Madagascar’s FC Rouge 4-0 on aggregate. They will now attempt to use home advantage to establish a lead before travelling to South Africa for the second leg.

The fixture comes at a demanding time for Chiefs, who drew with Stellenbosch FC in the Betway Premiership on Tuesday. The short turnaround leaves Da Cruz with limited time to recover his players and prepare them for the switch from domestic football to continental competition.

Chiefs have confirmed that Rushwin Dortley, Inacio Miguel, Sibongiseni Mthethwa, Mduduzi Shabalala and Flavio Da Silva are among those travelling to Zambia.

Their immediate aim is to return home with a result that leaves them well placed for the second leg at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Friday, 23 October.

There is further incentive for Chiefs after they narrowly missed out on the Confederation Cup knockout stages last season. They finished the group phase with 11 points but were eliminated on goal difference.

Reaching the group stage is therefore an important first objective for Da Cruz’s side as they seek to improve on that campaign. Saturday’s match will show whether Chiefs can reproduce the form that brought them two wins over ZESCO United and carry it into another difficult assignment against Zambian opposition.