After Kaizer Chiefs suffered a 1-0 defeat to Red Arrows in Zambia, their struggles away from home in the CAF Confederation Cup appear to be far from over.
Amakhosi lost three away matches in the competition last season. Defeats to Egyptian sides Al Masry and Zamalek ultimately contributed to their group-stage exit.
Their latest setback means Kaizer Chiefs have now lost four of their last five away matches in the CAF Confederation Cup, raising concerns about their ability to compete consistently on the continental stage.
Head coach Fernando Da Cruz admitted that his team lacked aggression in the first half against Red Arrows, which made it difficult for them to compete effectively.
“We played a tough first half with no aggression. We were not there inside the duels,” Da Cruz said as per KickOff.
Kaizer Chiefs CAF struggles continue
The French coach acknowledged that his side improved after the break but conceded that they struggled to create enough scoring opportunities.
“In the second half, it was better. We didn’t create a lot of chances, but we made a better second half,” he added.
Da Cruz also pointed to the playing surface as one of the challenges his team faced in Zambia, arguing that the pitch made it difficult for Chiefs to implement their preferred style of play.
“About the field, it was not a field for our advantage. It was not a very good field for us to develop our model game,” he said.
The Amakhosi coach, however, acknowledged that his team needed to adapt to the conditions rather than use them as an excuse for the defeat.
“But we must adapt, we must play with the conditions and the players adapted very well to the conditions,” Da Cruz added.
Kaizer Chiefs must now overturn the 1-0 deficit in the return leg in South Africa if they are to secure a place in the CAF Confederation Cup group stages.
Amakhosi will need to win by at least two clear goals to qualify directly. A one-goal victory would level the aggregate score and send the tie to a penalty shootout if the score remains level after extra time, where applicable.