Chiefs beat Zesco to ignite CAF Confed knockout hopes

Kaizer Chiefs breathed new life into their CAF Confederations Cup campaign with a gritty victory over Zesco United, ensuring their quest for a knockout stage berth remains firmly on track.

Pule Mmodi scored the only goal of the Group B tie at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia.

The result provides a massive boost for the Glamour Boys, who faced a “must-win” scenario to avoid an early exit from the competition.

After a rocky start to their campaign—opening with a 2-1 defeat to Al Masry SC followed by a 1-1 draw against Zamalek SC—Chiefs have finally found their footing. The victory over Zesco keeps them in third place after three rounds, sitting on four points. While they are now level with second-placed Zamalek, the Egyptian side maintains the edge via a superior goal difference.

Meanwhile, it’s a grim outlook for Zesco. After three straight losses, they find themselves languishing at the foot of the standings, their knockout stage hopes fading fast.

Early Blitz, Late Resilience: Chiefs Silence Zesco

Amakhosi found the breakthrough in just the 2nd minute. After Flávio Silva rattled the woodwork from a corner, Pule Mmodi reacted with predatory instinct to slot home the rebound from close range. It was the perfect start for a side desperate to climb the Group H standings.

Zesco, staring down the barrel of a third consecutive defeat, dominated possession for much of the second half. However, they found Chiefs’ goalkeeper Brandon Petersen in inspired, albeit battered, form. Petersen was forced into a world-class save in the 85th minute, diving low to his left to parry a stinging long-range effort from Alex Ng’onga.

The closing stages were a test of nerves as Zesco threw everything forward. Chiefs’ discipline wavered under the pressure, with Thabiso Monyane and Thulani Mabaso conceding a string of free kicks in dangerous areas. The physical nature of the contest took its toll on Petersen, who required treatment twice in the final ten minutes but refused to be beaten.

The tension boiled over in the 90th minute when Zesco’s Emmanuel Manda saw yellow for a heavy challenge on the Chiefs’ keeper. Even in the four minutes of added time, the drama continued; Makabi Lilepo nearly doubled the lead on a counter-attack, only to see his shot flash wide, while the Amakhosi backline repelled one final blocked effort from Benedict Chepeshi.

CAF Confederation Cup Group D Table