Chiefs ready for round two against Petro

Having arrived in Angola last Sunday, Kaizer Chiefs defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele says they have prepared thoroughly for their Caf Champions League clash with Petro de Luanda, but warns that the Angolan side is much stronger when they are playing at home.

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This will be the second meeting between the sides after Amakhosi beat Petro 2-0 last week at the FNB Stadium. Petro will host the Glamour Boys in their Group C match at 11 de Novembro Stadium in Luanda tonight.

“We have prepared adequately for the game with the players we’ve got available,” Mphahlele was quoted on the Chiefs website.

“We know it’s going to be tough because they are not the same team that we faced nine days ago in Joburg. By that I mean that Champions League games are different when you play at home and away.”

“We watched the game between Petro and Wydad and feel that Petro were unlucky to lose by a goal to nil because they were much stronger and missed clear cut chances. They are a strong side at home, so we have to up our game and not let any complacency creep in because we beat them at FNB Stadium.”

The Angolans have become the whipping boys of Group C having lost all of their last three games in the tournament, while Chiefs managed to register their first win against them.

Looking at the standings, Amakhosi are in third place with four points, level with Horoya, who are in second place due to a better goal difference. Wydad AC are on top of the group with nine points, while Petro are last having yet to register a point.

A win is vital for Chiefs to increase their chances to qualify for the quarterfinals and Mphahlele insists that the experience will benefit youngsters at the club like Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Happy Mashiane.

“We are looking forward to doing our best and pocketing all the three points so we can sit on seven points in the group. We will obviously be watching what happens in the other match as this affects us. I’m sure they will also be watching our game with keen interest,” he added.

“We have to try hard to qualify for the quarterfinals because this experience will be key for the future. We have some youngsters in the team who are lucky to be playing at this level as they will be strong enough to withstand the challenges of playing in this competition in the future.”

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