Kaizer Chiefs move Stellenbosch fixture as CAF Confederation Cup schedule tightens

Kaizer Chiefs’ league meeting with Stellenbosch has been brought forward to October 13 as the club prepares for a demanding run of domestic and CAF Confederation Cup fixtures.

The match, originally scheduled for October 17 at 15h00, will now take place at 19:30 under the floodlights at FNB Stadium. Kaizer Chiefs confirmed the change after their second qualifying-round opponents, Red Arrows, announced that their home leg would be played on October 17.

Red Arrows will host Chiefs at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola. The match was initially expected to be staged at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka, but that venue does not meet CAF requirements. Chiefs will therefore have to travel further into Zambia’s Copperbelt region rather than flying to Lusaka.

Demanding schedule ahead

Chiefs are due to host Red Arrows in the second leg during the weekend of October 23-25. That fixture will be followed by their Carling Knockout first-round tie on October 27 and the Soweto derby on October 31.

Should Chiefs reach the Carling Knockout quarter-finals, they will also have to play that match before the November FIFA international window, which runs from November 9-17.

The club’s calendar could become even more congested if it qualifies for the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup for a second successive season.

Three group-stage matches would have to be completed before Christmas, affecting Chiefs’ away league fixtures against Chippa United on November 28, Milford on December 5 and Marumo Gallants on December 18. All three games would need to be rearranged.

January is expected to bring further complications, with three consecutive weekends set aside for CAF inter-club competition. As a result, matches away to Durban City on January 10, Sekhukhune United on January 17 and Chippa United on January 23 would also have to be moved.

The sequence of postponements would present a significant logistical challenge for both the Premier Soccer League and Kaizer Chiefs.

Injury withdrawals ease international break

Chiefs have not had any players involved with senior national teams during the current FIFA dates. Lebohang Maboe and Flavio Silva were both withdrawn from their respective squads because of injury.

That has allowed the club to use the international break to regroup before the fixture congestion begins, with the Stellenbosch match now the first alteration to what could become a heavily revised schedule.