Kaizer Chiefs duo Bruce Bvuma and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo have reflected on the club’s memorable 2020/21 CAF Champions League campaign.
In that campaign, Chiefs made history reaching the final only to lose to Al Ahly.
Amakhosi are back in continental action this season as they begin their CAF Confederation Cup group-stage journey this weekend.
They face Egyptian outfit Al Masry on Sunday, 23 November, at the Suez Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 6pm.
Bvuma says he is thrilled to once again be competing on the African stage.
“Being back is very exciting. I am lucky enough to have reached a CAF final and remember how sweet the journey was,” he recalled.
“Yes, we had challenges along the way, but it was a great experience. Playing on the continent, you get exposure, which has led to some of our players moving abroad after doing well against other top African teams.”
Bvuma noted that they have a few seasoned players who understand the demands of the competition and will play a key role in assisting the others.
“Having players with experience of playing at this level, such as ‘Mshini’ and also [Khanyisa] Mayo, [Inacio] Miguel and Lebo [Maboe], will help us a lot,” he explained.
With regards to the opponents, he said “We know they are a very good team that will play with typical north African determination so we are prepared for a tussle, but I believe we have the players in our squad to cope with the challenge and return with a positive result.
“It is always great to get three points and that is what we will be aiming for. We don’t want to reach the last round with the pressure of needing to win. But it is equally important to ensure we don’t lose our first game, which will put us on the back foot.”
Meanwhile, Ngcobo says they are delighted to be back competing on the continental stage and are determined to go all the way and win the Confederation Cup.
“I am pleased to have qualified for the group stage and am looking forward to winning some games because I want to go all the way [to winning the competition]” he said.
“The coaches told us that a victory in this game will pave the way towards our goal of reaching the next phase, although it will not be easy. Playing away from home, the focus is to keep the game tight and capitalise on every opportunity that comes our way.”
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