“We are still in with a chance,” Lorenzo Gordinho says ahead of Kaizer Chiefs’ second leg CAF Champions League fixture against Asec Mimosas in Abidjan on Sunday. Amakhosi lost 1-0 at home last weekend, but the confident centre-back stresses: “We are capable of turning it around and the team is very determined to do just that.”

Amakhosi were clearly the better team last Saturday, but that doesn’t help much if the back of the net can’t be found. Instead, the Ivoirians scored once from probably only two attempts at goal during the first leg, which took place at the FNB Stadium.

Chiefs played Asec in the 2014 Confederations Cup, after being knockout out of the Champions League by Congolese side AS Vita. The Glamour Boys lost both matches at the time against the Abidjan-based side, 2-1 at home and 1-0 on the road. Matthew Rusike netted the only goal in those encounters.

But Chiefs did beat Asec 2-1 in the Vodacom Challenge in 1999. The game for third place took place at Durban’s King Park Stadium. Jabu Pule (since called Mahlangu) and the now late Thabang Lebese found the back of the net for the Glamour Boys.

Asec Mimosas won the Champions League in 1998. Amakhosi, however, have so far been unable to reach the group stage of the Champions League, unlike other South African sides like Orlando Pirates, Manning Rangers, Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United and Ajax Cape Town.

It’s a dent on the Club’s reputation and it’s one that coach Steve Komphela would love to fix. “It’s our mission to reach the group stage of the Champions League,” the coach recently noted.

It’s a mission that is shared by the team. “We can beat Asec on their home ground,” Gordinho mentions. “We just need confidence, and we have the players to do it. We just need to have that desire to win. It’s also crucial that we play as a team.”

The 21-year-old has really come to the fore this season, becoming a more than reliable partner of Erick Mathoho at the heart of the Chiefs defence.

Thanks to his often outstanding performances, Gordinho was this week selected for the trip of South Africa’s Under-23s to Brazil to face their counterparts on Sunday, 27 March, at Maceió’s Estádio Rei Pelé (King Pelé Stadium).

The friendly match comes ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, which will take place in August and for which the Under-23s have qualified.

The second leg CAF Champions League clash between Chiefs and Asec will be played at Abidjan’s Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny on Sunday, 20 March (kick-off is at 17:30, South African time).