Kaizer Chiefs under seventeen team lead by coach Ryder Mofokeng in the absence of regular coach Doctor Khumalo, touched down at the Barajas International Airport in Madrid on Wednesday morning, after a nine hour flight from Johannesburg.

The young Chiefs are in Spain to participate in the annual Mundialito Tournament taking place in and around the South Eastern City of Albecete, around about 200 km from Madrid. The team left Johannesburg on Tuesday and headed straight via road for Albecete, where they arrived just after lunchtime on Wednesday and took up residence in the Universidad hotel.

Accompanying the Chiefs youngsters to Spain is famous television pundit Eddie Lewis and one time coach of the Kaizer Chiefs senior team, Lewis coached the Amakhosi during three different stints in charge starting in 1974, 1975 again in 1979 and finally in 1986.

Lewis played a pivotal role in securing the invitation for the young Chiefs team to participate in the tournament, which he arranged with a close associate of his who lives in Spain. Lewis who originally travelled with the team as an observer has had his roles within the team somewhat altered and he had no qualms with the new duties laid upon him, speaking from Albecete Lewis said.

“I came here knowing that I would be watching the games from the stands, thanks to Ryder Mofokeng for affording me with the opportunity to work with him through the tournament as his assistant”.

Commenting on the latest addition to his technical team Ryder added “I just felt that with Eddies experience he could definitely lend us a hand and I am more than happy to have him helping us out, he will add a lot of value with his clever insight and he will also help provide us with some valuable input about our opponents”.

Chiefs head of delegation in Spain Abdullah Mayet reported from Albecete that the team were all in good spirits and after lunch had caught up on some much needed sleep in order to wipe away the jet leg.

The Kaizer Chiefs under 17’s will undergo their first training session on Spanish soil sometime on Thursday ahead of their opening game in the tournament against Spanish team Valencia in Villarrobledo outside of Albecete on Friday (25-08-06) evening.

They will follow up the Valencia game with a match two days later against Pumas UNAM of Mexico and will round off their group games on the 27th August when they come up against Portuguese team Benfica. The team are expected back home in the first week of September.