Kaizer Chiefs defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele admits the Caf Confederation Cup is not the easiest tournament to play in, but he says the players are prepared to fight their way through to the group stages of the competition.
The Soweto giants kick off their cup journey when they battle Zanzibar’s Zimamoto in a preliminary round at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday (7.30pm).
Chiefs were dumped out of the Telkom Knockout Cup by Orlando Pirates at the weekend, going down 2-1, and will be searching for redemption.
Mphahlele said the players had put that result behind them.
“Everybody in the camp is positive, we are trying to forget about the match and move forward. We have another chapter to start which everyone is looking forward to,” he said.
“We want to do well in this competition. We want to go as far as we can.
“It’s important also as Kaizer Chiefs that we do well in continental tournaments.
“We know we are playing against a strong team, but we are looking forward to the game.
“We are playing at home and want to get the result so that when we go to Tanzania it [won’t] be a mountain to climb. We will do anything to win this match.
“We know it’s going to be difficult as we have seen a couple of their clips.
“They are a very good, organised side and a very gifted team, so we will give them the respect that they deserve.”
The last time the Glamour Boys took part in the competition was back in 2014 when they were knocked out by Asec Mimosas in the playoffs.
“Caf is not an easy tournament to play, but we want to give it a try,” Mphahlele said.
“I think we have a chance, we have a good squad and a very good team to compete.
“We have not played in Caf for the past few seasons.
“We are embarking on this journey as a team and we are very excited, we are all looking forward to competing in Africa.
“It’s exciting times for us because it’s a different ball game.
“The football in Africa is different, the logistics and the travelling. We just need to try and manage it and be strong going into the tournament.”
Tickets for the game can be purchased through TicketPro and at CNA/Jet/Spar/Edgars outlets nationwide.
Tickets start at R40 for adults and a limited first-comefirst-served R20 for children.
Meanwhile, Free State Stars will become the 17th South African side to compete in continental club competitions when they debut in the Confederation Cup against Rwandan side Mukura Victory Sports on Wednesday.
They follow hot on the heels of Cape Town City‚ who made their bow in the same competition earlier in 2018 and earned their spot after claiming the Nedbank Cup at the end of the last campaign.
The switch in calendar of the Caf club competitions means the Confederation Cup and the Champions League will be played between now and May‚ which will test the depth of the Stars squad if they advance to the pool stages.
They will join a list of SA teams to compete including the big guns‚ but also the likes of Hellenic‚ Witbank Aces‚ Vaal Professionals‚ and two clubs in the ABC Motsepe League – Moroka Swallows and Santos.