Posted in Features, News on Jul 16, 2021.
As temperatures heat up in Casablanca, Kaizer Chiefs players are warming to the task of facing Al Ahly in this weekend’s historic CAF Champions League final.
Having arrived in Morocco late on Wednesday evening, the Amakhosi held their first training session on Thursday evening at the local Stade Rachid Moulay ground.
The Chiefs players arrived in Morocco in good time to acclimatize to the seasonal warm temperatures and heat being experienced in the picturesque North African country bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
Chiefs midfielder Nkosingiphile Ngcobo said the players were adapting well to the warm conditions and were raring to go.
“The training session was nice, we enjoyed ourselves and it helps us focus on our main mission. We are preparing well and the mood is good. It is a bit hot, but it’s not too bad when you compare it to the heat of the summer months in South Africa,” Ngcobo said after their training session.
The young midfielder has featured in 10 of Chiefs games in the tournament thus far.
The hot weather will continue into the weekend in Casablanca, though it is expected to be cooler when the game kicks off at 20h00 local time (21h00 SA time) on Saturday evening at the Mohammed V Stadium.
For Ngcobo and his teammates the focus now is on gaining enough rest ahead of the game.
“We have recovered from the long flight. This training session has relaxed us and energized us again and we are fresh now. Everyone was on their toes today and tomorrow it will be even better going into the game. My body is ready. We have been training, even though we have not played competitively for some time now, we are going to fight,” said Ngcobo.
Even though Chiefs have not played competitively since the 26th of June against Wydad, in the second leg of the semi-final, Ngcobo is confident he and the team will be up for the challenge of Saturday’s final.
For the 21 year old midfielder Saturday’s game can’t come quickly enough.
“I think we just want to play them now. We have to execute the game plan and be ready to give everything. We will be looking to win the game in 90 minutes,” said Ngcobo.
Chiefs will have a walk around at the Stade Mohammed V Stadium on Friday morning at 11h00 am local, before conducting their final training session on Friday evening.
