Kaizer Chiefs land tricky CAF Confederation Cup opponents

Kaizer Chiefs have discovered their opponents for the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup, with Zambian side Red Arrows set to be their first continental challenge of the season.

Under the guidance of coach Fernando da Cruz, the Soweto giants received a bye in the first preliminary round after being seeded alongside continental heavyweights like Al Ahly and Raja Casablanca.

Chiefs will now enter the competition in the next stage, where they are scheduled to take on Red Arrows.

How did Red Arrows qualify?

The Zambian club secured their spot after a convincing performance against their Madagascan opponents. Holding a 2-0 aggregate lead from the first leg, Red Arrows replicated that success in the return fixture on Sunday, winning 2-0 once again.

A brace from Ackim Mumba sealed the victory and confirmed their date with the South African club.

It is the second straight season in which Chiefs are playing a Zambian club in the competition after facing Zescou United at the group stage last term.

Back-to-back Zambian tests for Chiefs

At the time, Chiefs emerged victorious both home and away, winning the two legs 1-0 each as they commanded their group before getting eliminated in the final match.

It will not be an easy match for Chiefs as Red Arrows are three-time Zambian champions with two of those titles coming in 2022 and 2024 while they qualified for the Confederation after winning the Zambian Cup last season. They also won the league and cup double in 2024.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the second preliminary round matches will take place over the weekend of October 16-18.