By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Kaizer Chiefs will look to secure a first-ever berth in the CAF Champions League final when they host Wydad Casablanca in the return leg of their semifinal tie tomorrow night.
Kick-off at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg is set for 6pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).
Chiefs hold a crucial 1-0 lead from the first leg in Morocco last weekend, where Samir Nurkovic’s first-half, VAR-ratified goal proved the difference between the teams.
No club has lost a knockout tie in the latter stages of the CAFCL after winning the first leg away from home since way back in 1995, and the Amakhosi are determined not to become the first.
“We have another 90 minutes, it will be difficult. We were very disciplined and we hope to keep a clean sheet at home as well,” said caretaker coach Arthur Zwane.
“Everyone gave 100 per cent, I’m happy with the result and with the clean sheet. We know it’s not over, it’s only halfway. We just have to keep going and working hard,” added first-leg man of the match, goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma.
Amakhosi had never even reached the group stage of the competition prior to this season, while their awful domestic form (which ultimately saw the dismissal of highly-regarded coach Gavin Hunt) had not suggested that this team is capable of conquering Africa – yet they are now just 180 minutes away from the ultimate glory in continental club competition.
Wydad, however, will point to their dominance of the first leg as evidence that they can turn the tie around. The Moroccans created chance after chance at the Stade Mohamed V, but were repeatedly denied by the heroics of Bvuma.
WAC’s determination to reach the CAFCL final was evidenced in coach Faouzi Benzarti’s decision to field a second-string team in their midweek domestic league clash against RS Berkane – this paid off with a 2-0 away win, leaving their first-choice players fresh for the trip to South Africa.
“We lost with one goal, we still have another match to play in South Africa, the VAR wasn’t used in favour of Wydad like during the previous matches,” Benzarti said ahead of this weekend’s clash.
“We’ll try to overturn this result in South Africa, I can’t fault the players, they gave one hundred per cent. They were present mentally and physically but this is football. We accept the result and we look forward to doing better in the next match.”
The aggregate winners will advance to face either Egyptian side Al Ahly or Tunisia’s Esperance in the final on 17 July.
Egyptian giants Al Ahly will aim to close out their CAF Champions League semifinal against Esperance de Tunis when the teams meet for the second-leg match at Cairo’s Al Salam Stadium on Saturday evening.