Former Zambia international winger Clifford Mulenga has urged Red Arrows to remain focused on the game and block out the expected hostile atmosphere when they face South African giants Kaizer Chiefs.
After overcoming FC Rouge of Madagascar by 4-0 on aggregate, Arrows are expected to face a highly charged environment when they take on Chiefs, who command a huge following in South Africa and across the continent.
Mulenga, who previously played for University of Pretoria, Bidvest Wits, Mpumalanga Black Aces, Bloemfontein Celtic and Ajax Cape Town among other South African clubs, told Bola News that the Zambian clubs would have to deal with intense pressure from the stands.
“Well, as we all know, Kaizer Chiefs FC are one of the biggest and successful teams in South Africa and they are also a big team on the African continent. They command a huge fan base,” Mulenga said.
“So Red Arrows FC will definitely get a very noisy atmosphere with the home fans expecting their team to not only beat the visiting team, but to dominate Red Arrows FC, and entertain the fans.”
Mulenga, however, believes Arrows have the personnel and discipline to compete with Chiefs if they can maintain their concentration.
“What Arrows should focus on is the game. They have the players, and the discipline to compete with Kaizer Chiefs. If they can keep out the noise and stay focused on the game, they will definitely achieve their goals,” he said.
The former winger also believes Arrows have an advantage by hosting Chiefs in the first leg, saying a positive result could increase pressure on the South African side ahead of the return match.
“Arrows actually have an advantage since they host Chiefs in the first leg. A positive home result will put enormous pressure on Chiefs and from my experience, Chiefs don’t do well under pressure,” Mulenga said.
Kaizer Chiefs were on bye in the first preliminary round and will now enter the competition in the pre-group stage. The winner of the tie will progress to the group stages.
Red Arrows are still in search of their first-ever CAF interclub group stage qualification.
