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Zambian side Red Arrows made history on Friday night by knocking out Kaizer Chiefs on penalties and booking their place in the CAF Confederation Cup group stage for the first time.
The Airmen held a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Ndola. At Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, Chiefs needed to win to stay alive in the competition. Bradley Cross headed home from a free-kick by substitute Mfundo Vilakazi in the second half to give Amakhosi a 1-0 victory on the night and level the aggregate score at 1-1.
Chiefs pushed for a second goal that would have taken them through, but Red Arrows defended well after bringing on fresh players. The match went to penalties. Bruce Bvuma saved Red Arrows’ opening spot-kick, but Chiefs missed three of their own. Lebohang Maboe and Ethan Chislett both struck the crossbar, while Reeve Frosler’s effort was saved by Charles Kalumba. Red Arrows converted enough to win the shootout 3-2 and advance.
Red Arrows coach Chisi Mbewe was full of joy afterwards. Speaking to SABC Sport, he first gave glory to God before explaining how his side had handled a difficult away fixture.
“This means a lot, it’s not only for the club Red Arrows alone, this is for Zambia,” Mbewe said. “Tomorrow Zambia are celebrating the 24th Independence Day, so we came here and give the 21 million Zambian people this wonderful present.”
He praised his players for staying organised in the first half and for the changes that helped them contain Chiefs after the home side had lifted the tempo. Mbewe also noted that penalties can go either way and that he was grateful the outcome favoured his team. For the club, the result is a big motivation as it is their first time reaching the group stage.
The victory gives Zambia a strong presence in the Confederation Cup while ending Chiefs’ hopes of returning to the group stage for a second straight season. For the Airmen and their coach, the night delivered both a historic club achievement and a timely gift for the nation.
Source: https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2113888471538348208
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