Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner has made a strong appeal to the club's supporters ahead of their important CAF Confederation Cup second-leg encounter against Red Arrows of Zambia on Friday. The goalkeeper wants the Amakhosi faithful to turn out in large numbers at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban as the team looks to overturn a first-leg defeat and secure a place in the group stages.

Chiefs suffered a 1-0 loss against Red Arrows at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Zambia last weekend. The result has left the Soweto giants with work to do in the return fixture, where they will need to score goals while ensuring that their opponents do not increase their advantage.

Fernando Da Cruz's team will be hoping to use home support to their advantage as they prepare for a match that could determine the direction of their continental campaign. Leaner believes the supporters can play an important role in helping the players achieve their target.

The goalkeeper has been entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the Chiefs goal following an injury to Brandon Petersen. He will now be looking to help his team keep a clean sheet while the attackers try to find the goals needed to turn the tie around.

Speaking to the club's official website, Leaner explained that the team understands the importance of the encounter and is determined to progress to the next stage of the competition.

“This game is very important for the Club. Our goal is to advance to the group stage,” he said.

Leaner also called on the supporters to create an intimidating atmosphere for the visiting Zambian side. He pointed out that Red Arrows enjoyed strong backing from their fans during the first leg, making the environment challenging for the South African team.

“We are a big team, and we are in a big competition. We need our fans out in numbers to support us because in Zambia their fans made it a bit of an ‘intimidating’ environment,” he added.

The goalkeeper stressed that Chiefs would need the supporters to remain behind the team for the entire 90 minutes. He described the fans as the club's 12th man, explaining that their encouragement could help the players deal with the pressure of the occasion.

Chiefs have also experienced difficulties in domestic competitions this season. They have won just three of their 10 matches across all competitions, while dropped points have contributed to their fifth-place position in the Betway Premiership standings.

Despite those challenges, Leaner remains hopeful that the team can produce the required performance against Red Arrows. He explained that scoring the opening goal would be an important first step, but the team must also remain defensively organised.

“It’s obvious, but our first task is to get one goal and then go for another one, as well as focus on keeping a clean sheet,” he said.

Leaner further revealed that the technical team had reviewed the first-leg defeat and studied Red Arrows to identify weaknesses that Chiefs could exploit in Durban.

The goalkeeper believes the preparations will help the team approach Friday's match with a clearer plan. Chiefs will need to be effective in front of goal and avoid defensive mistakes if they are to progress to the group stages.

Source: IDiskiTimes