Kaze Hails Ighodaro As Rare Breed
Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has praised Etiosa Ighodaro’s qualities, describing the striker as a type of player the club has not had in a long time.
Kaze highlighted Ighodaro’s strength and ability to hold up play, bringing other attackers into the game — a trait that proved crucial in Chiefs’ 3-1 victory over AS Simba at Dobsonville Stadium on Sunday. The result sealed a 3-1 aggregate win in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round.
Chiefs, who had played to a goalless draw in the first leg in Congo, made sure of progress in Soweto. Ighodaro opened the scoring in the third minute, reacting quickest after Glody Lilepo’s shot — following a superb line-breaking pass from Aden McCarthy — was parried into his path.
Zitha Kwinika added the second in the 14th minute with a composed side-footed finish, before Lilepo’s towering header capped off a dominant display and sent Amakhosi into the group stages of the Confederation Cup for the first time under the current format.
Chiefs previously lifted this competition in 2001 when it was known as the Mandela Cup under coach Muhsin Ertugral.
In reaching the group stages, Amakhosi join fellow South African side Stellenbosch, along with Wydad Casablanca, Zamalek, CR Belouizdad, USM Alger, ZESCO United, Azam, Maniema Union, San Pedro, OC Safi, and Singida Black Stars.
“I believe it’s not easy to find that kind of striker,” Kaze admitted.
“He’s a scorer and also a player who helps the team by holding the ball up. Sometimes, when you’re under pressure and defending deep, he gives you that outlet — when we play forward, he can keep possession and allow the rest of the team to move up.
“That gives you energy and helps players get into the right positions going forward. I believe we’ve missed that a lot.
“In the past, when the ball went forward, we lost it too quickly because of the profile of strikers we had, and that forced us to keep defending and playing in transition. But having this kind of striker is very helpful.”
