Kaizer Chiefs return to CAF Confederation Cup action today knowing that advantage can be misleading if it is not defended properly.

Last week’s 1–0 victory over ZESCO United in Ndola gave Amakhosi an important foothold in a tightly contested Group D that also includes Al Masry and Zamalek. It was a hard earned result away from home, but head coach Cedric Kaze is clear that the outcome last weekend will count for nothing once the whistle blows at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

“We have to do it all over again,” Kaze says ahead of the return meeting. “The first result does not carry into this match. We must be focused, determined, and fight for every inch on the field.”

Kaze also suggested that familiarity has sharpened both sides with the back-back fixtures. “Knowing your opponent helps, but it also makes things more difficult because they know you as well,” he explains.

That reality places greater emphasis on mentality rather than margin. The Glamour Boys will approach the game intent on setting the tone from the outset. “We want to go on the front foot, to play our game with courage, belief, character and personality, and take control and be proactive,” Kaze says.

Since the narrow defeat to Al Masry late last year, Amakhosi have put together an unbeaten run that has been built less on spectacle and more on control, which is something the technical team is keen to sustain, particularly as the demands on the players increase.

The Nedbank Cup begins this week with a fixture against Stellenbosch FC in Cape Town, adding another layer to an already congested calendar. For Kaze, managing that load is about finding the balance.

“There are no shortcuts and nothing comes easy. Nothing comes without hard work. We are putting ourselves in every positive situation to work for everything good that can happen to us and we will keep going and see how far we can reach,” he concludes.