Cedric Kaze blames 'mentality' as Kaizer Chiefs bow out of CAF Confederation Cup

Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze says his side did not approach their final group-stage match of the CAF Confederation Cup with the right mindset, which ultimately led to their exit from the continental campaign.

Chiefs were defeated 2–1 by Zamalek SC at Suez Canal Stadium on Saturday night, finishing third in Group D with 10 points. They ended one point behind the group leaders, Zamalek, and trailed runners-up Al Masry SC on goal difference.

Amakhosi trailed 2–0 in the match, but a late goal from Glody Lilepo gave them a glimmer of hope of salvaging a point and maintaining their top spot in the group. However, it was not to be, as the White Knights held on for an important victory on home soil.

Speaking during the post-match press conference, Kaze sounded dejected by the result and explained where he believed his team went wrong.

“We believe that today we didn’t enter the game with the right attitude and mentality,” Kaze said. “We respected the opponent too much, giving them time and space to play, especially in the first half.

“We were behind the ball a lot, and that took a toll physically on the players. The first goal we conceded came from a loose ball, and the second was avoidable. We’ll learn from this and move on.”

Winning the Confederation Cup was one of only two ways Amakhosi could have salvaged their season, as they are still in contention in the Betway Premiership after missing out on domestic trophies such as the Carling Knockout and the Nedbank Cup.

Having stretched themselves by juggling continental and league commitments under a congested schedule that included extensive travel, Kaze also reflected on the disappointment of their exit from the competition.

“First of all, I would like to say that it is a huge disappointment for us – we put a lot of time and effort into this competition,” Kaze stated. “We tried not to concede those two goals.”