Kaizer Chiefs begin their 2015 CAF Champions League campaign with a home clash against Botswana's Township Rollers.
|||
Stuart Baxter believes continental football is not for sissies and the Kaizer Chiefs coach is hoping he has none in his squad as he prepares to lead Amakhosi’s assault on African club football’s biggest prize starting tomorrow.
Chiefs begin their 2015 CAF Champions League campaign with a home clash against Botswana’s Township Rollers at the FNB Stadium tomorrow night amidst a general feeling that they just cannot be bothered with testing their skills against Africa’s best.
And with good reason too given that Chiefs had long lamented the expensive and high demanding nature of the continental competition and often fielded weakened teams as they gave priority to the local game.
After being eliminated early in the premier competition last year, they treated the second-tier CAF Cup with such disdain that Baxter actually did not go to a match, leaving his assistant Doctor Khumalo in charge of the side.
Things seem to be different this year, talk from Naturena regarding the Champions League giving the impression of a side keen on emulating their arch-rivals Orlando Pirates by capturing the title. And Baxter seems to know just what it is that is needed for Chiefs to add that much-coveted star to their jersey. “Obviously there’s no guarantee that you will get it right,” he said of Amakhosi’s being involved in three competitions – the local Premiership, the Nedbank Cup as well as the Champions League “But you tackle the challenges head on and make sure that you don’t have wimps on board for Africa. If you’re going to complain, then don’t be in a team that goes to Africa.”
Given their fantastic performances on the local front this season though, it would appear there are no wimps in the Amakhosi side. And with key players such as goalkeeper Brilliant Khuzwayo and midfielders Mandla Masango having been part of the Bafana Bafana side at the Africa Cup of Nations, Baxter can be confident in the knowledge that he has the warriors to take to the continental battle.
That though will only be proven in the later stages of the competition, with this preliminary clash against neighbours Rollers unlikely to be a true test of Chiefs’ character. And, while in no way underestimating the Botswana side, Baxter hinted as much. “The early stages are not a problem because the journeys are short and the squad still fresh. It is when the competition gets on that you find that you travel ten hours, the hotels are not good and the training grounds are also not good too.”
He was yet to do any research on the opposition, his focus having been on Wednesday night’s league clash at Bloemfontein Celtic. Speaking after that entertaining goalless draw, Baxter said he is likely to change the team slightly for tomorrow’s tie. “We will make some changes but we won’t weaken the team much. The key will be to just get a result and make sure we don’t have a knife on our throat going away for the second leg. So we need to try and score and hope they don’t.”
Meanwhile Mamelodi Sundowns are also in the same competition and are away to St Michel of the Seychelles for their first leg, preliminary tie. - The Star
from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1yvClFp
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire