Kaizer Chiefs have been knocked out of the CAF Confederation Cup after losing 3-2 on penalties to Red Arrows in the second leg of the second preliminary round at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday.

Amakhosi won the return leg 1-0 through a goal from Bradley Cross, bringing the aggregate score to 1-1 after their 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Ndola, Zambia, last week. However, the Soweto giants failed to win the penalty shootout, allowing the Zambian side to advance to the next round.

Fernando Da Cruz’s men entered the match knowing they needed a strong performance to overturn the deficit. They started with attacking intent, pushing forward whenever they had possession as they searched for an early goal.

However, their approach also created opportunities for Red Arrows to threaten on the counter-attack. The visitors looked dangerous when they won possession but struggled to turn their forward moves into clear scoring chances.

Chiefs came close to opening the scoring in the 11th minute when Thulani Mabaso attempted an effort inside the box. Red Arrows goalkeeper Charles Kalumba reacted well to make an important save and keep his team in the contest.

The hosts continued to push forward but found it difficult to break through the visitors’ organised defence. Neither side managed to score before half-time, leaving Chiefs with plenty of work to do after the break.

Amakhosi increased their attacking pressure in the second half, with Pule Mmodi coming close in the 62nd minute. His quick shot was saved by Kalumba, who continued to frustrate the home side.

Chiefs eventually found the breakthrough in the 66th minute when Cross headed home to level the aggregate score. The hosts then had opportunities to win the tie before the final whistle, but Shabalala missed two clear chances.

After the match ended level on aggregate, the contest went to penalties, where Red Arrows won 3-2 to eliminate Chiefs from the competition.

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has reportedly blamed the team’s lack of quality players and limited transfer support for their CAF Confederation Cup exit.

Da Cruz said it was difficult to coach a team when management did not provide a budget to recruit players of his choice. He also insisted that the current squad was assembled by the club’s management rather than himself. However, these reported comments have not been independently verified or officially confirmed by Kaizer Chiefs.

The early elimination represents another setback for Amakhosi, who will now have to turn their attention to their domestic commitments while questions remain about the squad’s quality and the club’s recruitment strategy.

Source: IDiskiTimes