Kaizer Chiefs coach Cedric Kaze has expressed relief following their hard-fought victory over Angolan giants Kabuscorp, which saw Amakhosi progress to the next round of the CAF Confederation Cup.
The win came after a challenging spell for Chiefs, who had struggled to find form since returning from the international break.
The team had suffered back-to-back losses to Sekhukhune United and Kabuscorp in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup first preliminary round.
Despite a disappointing 1-1 draw against Marumo Gallants in the Betway Premiership midweek, where they had led until the 75th minute and even missed a penalty to make it 2-0, Chiefs bounced back on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Kabuscorp at FNB Stadium.
The aggregate score was 1-1, but Amakhosi advanced after winning 5-4 on penalties.
“To be honest, it’s a very big relief to win this game and go to the next round,” Kaze said.
“Now you have to create positive momentum in the minds of the players, and the mood now at training is going to be better than the previous days.”
However, Kaze emphasized the need for continued hard work to maintain the momentum, particularly ahead of their upcoming match against AmaZulu on Wednesday.
Chiefs have struggled to score more than one goal per game this season, with their last multi-goal win coming in the opening game of the season against Stellenbosch, where they won 2-0.
Kaze addressed this issue, saying, “I would say that situations are different; the last pass and movement were not good.”
He added that in Saturday’s game, “the chances were there, last passes were there, and the only thing we need to do is to keep on working very well.”
With new options expected to become available, Kaze hopes that players who have yet to feature this season can contribute to the team’s success in upcoming games.
“Going to the next game, I think we’re going to have more options with players that will come,” he concluded.
“I hope that all the players who are yet to play this season can help us as well in the next games.”
After facing AmaZulu on Wednesday at FNB Stadium, Chiefs will then travel to DHL Stadium to take on Stellenbosch in the Carling Knockout round of 16.
With the win over Kabuscorp, Amakhosi will look to build on the momentum and address their scoring woes in the upcoming matches.
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