Kaizer Chiefs defender Inacio Miguel believes the club will enjoy strong support from its fans when Amakhosi face Red Arrows FC in the CAF Confederation Cup, despite playing away from home in Zambia.

The Soweto-based club arrived in Zambia on Thursday afternoon ahead of the second preliminary round first-leg encounter. The match marks Kaizer Chiefs’ first appearance in this season’s CAF Confederation Cup after receiving a bye in the opening round.

Chiefs were among the 12 top-seeded teams that were exempted from the first round due to their position in the CAF five-year ranking system. The club will now turn its attention to the continental competition as it seeks to make progress against its Zambian opponents.

Amakhosi will be looking to improve their recent results after experiencing some challenges in domestic competitions. Although they have suffered only one defeat, a series of draws in the Betway Premiership has made it difficult for them to keep pace with the leading teams.

Their only defeat came against Lamontville Golden Arrows in the MTN8 quarter-finals. Meanwhile, five draws in their last six league matches have highlighted the importance of finding greater consistency as the season continues.

The encounter against Red Arrows offers Chiefs an opportunity to deliver a positive performance, build confidence and establish an advantage before the return leg.

Speaking to the media ahead of the match, Miguel expressed confidence that the presence of Kaizer Chiefs supporters in Zambia would help the team feel at home despite being away from South Africa.

The defender revealed that he had already noticed Amakhosi supporters on the streets when the team travelled to training, highlighting the club’s popularity beyond its home country.

“I could see yesterday when we went to training, Kaizer Chiefs fans in the streets, so it’s difficult to say that we are playing away from home because we still have fans in Zambia,” Miguel said.

He further explained that the team regularly receives support when travelling to different African countries, something he believes can provide additional motivation for the players.

“Most of the countries we go to in Africa, we have fans, so obviously the stadium will be full of our supporters,” he added.

The support expected from the stands could provide an encouraging atmosphere for the Chiefs players as they prepare for a challenging encounter against Red Arrows. However, the team will still need to remain disciplined, create scoring opportunities and make the most of their chances.

A positive result in Zambia would put Amakhosi in a better position ahead of the second leg as they seek to advance to the next stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.

https://www.idiskitimes.co.za/caf-confederation-cup/miguel-expects-fans-to-push-chiefs-in-zambia/