Chiefs take Confed Cup fixture to Moses Mabhida
SA top three chase CAF group stages
Kaizer Chiefs are to take their African Confederation Cup tie to Durban at the weekend while Mamelodi Sundowns have finally got clarity on their plans after being left in the dark by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Chiefs will host Elgeco Plus of Madagascar in the first leg of their second-round tie on Saturday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium (8.15pm).
The game will be the second in charge for returning coach Ernst Middendorp‚ who will be on the bench for the first time in more than a decade at the club tonight when he begins his comeback as Chiefs coach in the Premiership clash against SuperSport United at Mbombela Stadium. Chiefs will go to Antananarivo for the return game next weekend and, should they progress, will then face one more preliminary round before the group phase begins early next year.
In the CAF Champions League‚ Sundowns are away against Al Ahli Benghazi from Libya‚ who are banned from hosting games at home by Fifa because of the tenuous security situation in the North African country.
Ahli Benghazi have been forced to switch previous games in Egypt but Sundowns had been unsure of the exact time‚ date and venue until late on Monday when CAF confirmed they would be playing at the Petrojet Stadium in Cairo on Sunday with a 3pm kick-off.
The second leg of the second-round tie against the Libyans is set for Loftus Versfeld next Saturday and should Sundowns – who won the competition in 2016 – progress they will have qualified for the group phase for the fourth successive time.
Orlando Pirates, led by coach Micho Sredojevic, are also chasing a group slot and have a modest task against Black Africa from Namibia who they host at Orlando Stadium on Saturday in the first leg of their second-round tie. The return will be in Windhoek next Saturday.
The draw for the group phase of the Champions League‚ as well as the thirdround pairing for the Confederation Cup‚ will take place in Cairo on December 28.