There is great excitement and pride in the Kaizer Chiefs camp as they stand on the cusp of CAF Champions League history.

There is, however, also deep respect for their Wydad Athletic Club opposition and the knowledge that victory will need to be earned – and will be very hard fought – at FNB Stadium on Saturday night.

Amakhosi hold the aces after their away 1-0 victory in Casablanca in the semi-final first leg, but they have prepared this week knowing they have nothing in the bag just yet, and that a huge 90 minutes awaits them if they are to secure progression to the showpiece CAF finale.

“We are playing against one of the strongest teams on the continent, we’ve learnt quite a few things from them. At the same time, we also surprised them and showed them a thing or two and showed that we are good enough to compete at this level,” says Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane.

“Getting a goal away was very important for us. Coming to South Africa they will be a different team in terms of approach, because they will be chasing the game. But our players have been awesome this week, very committed and focused, and also showing lots of discipline” added Zwane.

The Chiefs mentor said the team was aware of the external factors – such as the excitement of the Amakhosi faithful and also the challenge of the rising third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic – but they have been staying calm in their own mental ‘bubble’.

“We know our supporters are so excited and really want us to go through to the final and whenever we go out there, we are always representing them. But we would like to focus more on the game, than on the hype outside. We also know we have a lot of challenges in our country at the moment in terms of Coronavirus. What is key is ensuring everyone is focused on the tactics and on the planning going forward. It’s been so far so good in terms of the response of the players. Everyone is 110% focused and looking forward to the second leg,” says Zwane.

Kick-off on Saturday 26 June is at 18:00 (South African Time)