Kaizer Chiefs have suffered a setback in their CAF Confederation Cup campaign after losing 1-0 to Zambian side Red Arrows in the first leg of the second preliminary round on Saturday afternoon.

The Soweto giants travelled to Zambia hoping to secure a positive result that would give them an advantage ahead of the return fixture. However, Chiefs were unable to achieve their objective at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, with Red Arrows claiming a narrow victory on home soil.

The result leaves Kaizer Chiefs facing an important challenge in the second leg, where they will need to overturn the one-goal deficit to keep their continental campaign alive. While the margin is small, the defeat means the South African side can no longer afford another ineffective attacking display when the two teams meet again.

Chiefs had entered the encounter aware of the importance of avoiding defeat. A draw would have provided them with a useful platform, while a victory would have placed them in a commanding position. Instead, Red Arrows managed to make home advantage count and secured a lead that could prove significant in the deciding fixture.

For Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz and his technical team, attention will now turn to identifying the weaknesses exposed in Zambia. The Amakhosi will need to improve their attacking threat, create clearer scoring opportunities and make better use of possession if they are to overturn the result.

Red Arrows, meanwhile, will take confidence from their first-leg success. The Zambian outfit demonstrated that they can compete with the South African side and will now look to protect their advantage in the return match.

Despite the setback, the tie remains open. Chiefs require only a two-goal improvement to progress without relying on a penalty shootout, depending on the competition's rules and the final aggregate score.

The return fixture therefore promises to be a crucial test for the Amakhosi, with their CAF Confederation Cup hopes now resting on their ability to produce a much stronger performance and overturn Red Arrows' advantage.

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