Maboe Confident Chiefs Can Seal Confed Cup Quarter-Final Spot Against Zamalek
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Lebohang Maboe has no doubt that Amakhosi can pull together and get over the line against Zamalek SC in their crucial CAF Confederation Cup group-stage clash, insisting this is exactly the kind of occasion the squad was built for.
Amakhosi are in Egypt knowing their fate in the Confederation Cup will be decided in a high-stakes final group match against Zamalek at the Suez Canal Stadium on Saturday (18:00).
Chiefs head into the decisive fixture at the top of the group with 10 points, followed by Zamalek on eight and Al Masry SC on seven. ZESCO United are already out of contention with just three points.
A draw will be enough for Amakhosi to secure qualification to the next round, but defeat could open the door for the chasing pack in what has effectively become a do-or-die encounter.
“These are the types of games I came here to play. When you sign for a big team, you want to be in hostile environments where the odds are stacked against you,” Maboe said ahead of the match on the Chiefs website.
“Once you step onto the pitch, the crowd doesn’t matter. What matters is focusing on your job and helping the team go through. We’ll need one another and must pull in the same direction. We’ve got strong leaders and a strong team. If we work together, I don’t see us failing to qualify.”
The Soweto giants are under no illusions about the challenge awaiting them in Ismailia.
Maboe acknowledged both the magnitude of the occasion and the difficulty of facing Zamalek on their home turf, especially with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
“We know it’s going to be very difficult. It’s not going to come easy,” he admitted.
“But as players, we’ve spoken among ourselves and understand what needs to be done to make sure the team reaches the next round. That’s our main focus right now — making sure we get through.”
Chiefs and Zamalek shared the spoils in their previous meeting in Polokwane, a result that kept the group finely balanced in the opening round of the group stage.
The task now is to replicate the resilience shown in that encounter while being more clinical in front of goal. Maboe pointed to encouraging signs in the team’s attacking play.
“The most important thing is that we are creating chances,” he noted.
“Credit must go to our frontline players for getting into those positions. It shows we’re doing something right. Of course, it would be better with a higher conversion rate, but the players are working hard to make sure we start converting the chances we create.”
Amakhosi’s last outing against Al Masry offered a glimpse of that progress. Chiefs found the net twice at home last weekend, a performance that highlighted their ability to turn opportunities into decisive moments.
In a fixture where even a single goal could determine the outcome, the Glamour Boys will draw confidence from that display, knowing that if they create similar chances in Ismailia and find the back of the net, the point they need — or even more — will be within reach.
