Kaizer Chiefs will resume their CAF Confederation Cup group stage campaign with a trip to Zambia to face Zesco United at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on matchday 3 in Group D on Sunday, 25 January at 15:00 (SA time).
Amakhosi will face Zesco for a second time in African club competitions.
The teams met over two legs in the 2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup playoff round, with Zesco winning the tie 5-2.
In their meetings in 2018/19, Zesco won the first leg 3-1 in Ndola, with goals in the 25th and 31st minutes from Lazarous Kambole and Jesse Were, respectively.
Kaizer Chiefs scored via Khama Billiat in the 43rd minute, before Were completed his brace with another goal in the 54th minute.
In the return game at FNB Stadium, Zesco lead through goals from Teddy Akumu and Were in the 10th and 68th minutes, respectively. Billiat scored for Kaizer Chiefs in the final minute of a game that Zesco won 2-1.
Both teams scored
Kaizer Chiefs’ other games against Zambian opponents saw them face Nchanga Rangers over two legs in the 2000 CAF Cup.
Kaizer Chiefs lost the first leg at home in Johannesburg 2-0. The second ended 0-0 in Zambia with Nchanga winning the tie 2-0 on aggregate.
Amakhosi’s record in four previous CAF games against Zambian opponents has seen them play four games, lose three and draw once.
In Kaizer Chiefs’ previous meetings against Zesco, both clubs managed to score in their games in 2018/19. Neither of the teams has managed to keep a clean-sheet as yet in this fixture.
Zesco, overall, have played South African clubs in eight games in CAF competitions, and have won three games, drawn four and lost one. Their only loss was in the 2016 semi-finals, away against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Zesco have never lost to South African opponents at home in four previous continental games, winning two games and drawing two.
The four South African clubs that Zesco have faced in the past are Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United and Royal AM.
This will be Zesco’s first group stage meeting in a CAF tournament against a South African club.
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP TO DATE
Zesco United
Have lost both their matches in Group D. They began with a 1-0 away loss against Zamalek and then lost 3-2 at home to Al Masry on matchday 2 in November 2025.
Zesco are presently seventh in the Zambian Premier League with 22 points from 16 games, with a game in hand over log-leaders, Power Dynamos, who have 35 points.
They resumed their domestic league on 11 January, after Zambia’s elimination from the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, where they lost 2-1 against Nkana Rangers.
They did win their most recent game, a league clash against Kabwe Warriors at home on 17 January, 1-0.
They have used a core of players across their first two games with 10 players starting each of their two Group D games thus far.
Across their two games in Group D they have managed one shot on target.
Kaizer Chiefs
The Glamour Boys are presently third in Group D and will be looking to close the gap on Egyptian rivals Al Masry and Zamalek who will be facing each other on matchday 3.
Kaizer Chiefs’ last group game in November ended in a 1-1 home draw against Zamalek.
The Soweto giants have lost one game and drawn one thus far in Group D and have managed to score in both games.
Amakhosi returned to action on 20 January, winning 1-0 in their first game of 2026 against Golden Arrows at FNB Stadium.
Amakhosi are presently on a four game unbeaten run in all competitions.
Kaizer Chiefs’ loss on matchday 1 of the CAF CC group stages against Al Masry is the club’s only defeat in regulation play in their last 15 games in all competitions. In this run Chiefs have won six games and drawn eight.
In the CAF Confederation Cup this season, Dillon Solomons has created three chances across two games – the most by a Kaizer Chiefs player.
Solomons has been involved in both of Kaizer Chiefs’ goals in the group stages, scoring one against Al Masry and his shot at goal against Zamlek lead to an error from the goalkeeper resulting in Amakhosi’s equaliser in the game.
Kaizer Chiefs have attempted 792 passes in their two group games so far, while Zesco have attempted 661.
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP GROUP D STANDINGS
