The Kaizer Chiefs travelling party who journeyed to Cameroon have returned home safely in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The first leg of their 2020-21 CAF Champions League preliminary round encounter was played on Sunday, 29 November 2020 against the host team PWD Bamenda in Limbe, Cameroon.
Chiefs carry a crucial one-goal lead from the first leg having defeated Bamenda courtesy of a goal from Erick Mathoho. Those who watched the game on YouTube were witness to the amazing penalty save from Itumeleng Khune in the final minute of the game. This performance is sure to keep the team motivated for the return match.
The team is planning to capitalize on the advantage when they play host to Bamenda in the second leg at FNB Stadium on Friday, 4 December 2020 with the game set to kickoff at 18:00.
A well-deserved rest is being enjoyed by the players today to help them recuperate from their long and odious travels which took them via Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to Douala in Cameroon and a two-hour bus journey to Limbe and back the same way. The team will be back on the training ground on Wednesday to resume preparations for the crucial second leg.
Amakhosi return from Cameroon with an injury concern of defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele who was substituted by Yagan Sasman during the win over Bamenda. He has a hamstring strain and will be further assessed on Tuesday and Wednesday to ascertain the extent of the injury and his availability for the second leg.
Rama’s injury aside, Chiefs will be looking to history for some inspiration; in the second leg, since first competing in the CAF Champions League in 1993, Chiefs have always managed to win the home leg of a preliminary round. Doing so in 1993, 2005, 2014, and 2015 in 2016.
In 2016, Chiefs faced Comoros side Volcan Moroni. After a 4-0 away win in the first leg the Comorians did not turn up for the second leg and Chiefs were handed the win.
In their previous four home games in the preliminary round, in the CAF Champions League, Chiefs have scored 12 goals and conceded just one.
The winner of this round will be facing the Angolan side Primero De Agosto over two legs in the first round. It will be vital for Chiefs to win this game and take the momentum forward into their next games both domestically and on the continent.
Kick-off for the game against PWD Bamenda which will be played without fans as per CAF rules, at 18h00, FNB Stadium.
This article was previously published on kaizerchiefs.com
