Kaizer Chiefs suffered a 1-0 defeat against Red Arrows in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round tie at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, leaving Fernando Da Cruz’s men under pressure ahead of the return fixture in South Africa.

The match was not televised in South Africa, meaning many Amakhosi supporters could not watch their team in action. Da Cruz made one change to his starting line-up from the side that drew against Stellenbosch FC, bringing in Luke Baartman for Wandile Duba.

However, Chiefs were forced to make an early substitution when Thabiso Monyane picked up an injury and had to leave the field after just 30 minutes. Thulani Mabaso came on to replace him as the visitors tried to maintain their shape and deal with the home side’s attacking threat.

Red Arrows appeared to create the better chances during the first half, putting the Chiefs defence under pressure. Da Cruz responded at the break by withdrawing Baartman and introducing Flavio Da Silva in an attempt to improve his team’s attacking performance.

Chiefs recorded their first shot on target after 53 minutes but struggled to find a breakthrough. Da Cruz made further changes in the 71st minute, bringing on Duba and Etiosa Ighodaro as he looked for a goal that could change the outcome of the match.

However, Red Arrows found the decisive goal five minutes later. Alassane Diarra rose to head home from a corner, giving the Zambian side a valuable 1-0 advantage going into the second leg.

Chiefs must now produce a stronger performance at home if they want to overturn the deficit and secure qualification for the CAF Confederation Cup group stages.

In other news, Red Arrows coach Chisi Mbewe has expressed confidence ahead of his team’s CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round second leg against Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa. Mbewe claimed his side could have scored four or five goals against Amakhosi and described them as an easy team to beat. He also insisted that Red Arrows are a bigger club than Chiefs, vowing to secure all three points in the return leg and prove his team’s strength on South African soil.

His comments will add further pressure on Chiefs, who must respond on the pitch and show their supporters that they have what it takes to progress to the next round of the competition.

Source: IDiskiTimes