Kaze rues ‘wrong attitude’ in Kaizer Chiefs’ CAF exit

Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has laid bare his frustration following Amakhosi’s gut-wrenching exit from the CAF Confederation Cup group stages this past weekend.

The Soweto giants entered the final matchday sitting pretty at the summit of Group D, needing only a point to secure their passage to the knockout rounds. However, a 2–1 defeat to Egyptian powerhouses Zamalek in Cairo, coupled with Al Masry’s 2–0 victory over Zesco United, saw the Glamour Boys plummet from first to third.

Despite finishing level on points with Al Masry SC, Chiefs were eliminated on the cruel metric of goal difference.

‘We Respected Them Too Much’ – Kaizer Chiefs’ Kaze

Reflecting on the collapse in North Africa, Kaze was scathing regarding his side’s approach to the winner-takes-all encounter. The Burundian tactician felt his players stood off the White Knights, allowing the hosts to dictate the tempo.

“First of all, I would say that it is a big disappointment for us. We’ve put a lot of time and effort into this competition,” a dejected Kaze said after the match.

“We tried all we could, but I believe that today we didn’t get into the game with the right attitude and right mentality because I feel we gave a lot to the opponents—time and space to create. We respected them a lot.”

While the “attitude” was the primary concern, Kaze was equally critical of the defensive lapses that led to the two Egyptian goals. Amakhosi had fought hard to stay in the contest, but a lapse in concentration ultimately proved fatal.

“The first goal that we conceded in the second half was coming from in front of the wall. The second goal too is avoidable,” Kaze explained. “It’s a big disappointment for us, but that is football.”

Focus Shifts to Domestic Survival For Kaizer Chiefs

With the continental journey reaching a premature end, the pressure now intensifies on the domestic front. Chiefs return to South Africa with their tails between their legs, needing to pivot immediately to the Betway Premiership, where they remain in a desperate hunt for a respectable finish.

“We need to take lessons from this and move on,” Kaze concluded, signalling that the post-mortem of their Egyptian failure must be brief if they are to salvage their domestic campaign.