Former Kaizer Chiefs head coach Muhsin Ertugral has weighed in on the club’s continental prospects, revealing the stage he expects the Soweto giants to reach during their 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup run.
The Soweto giants are currently in the second preliminary round, fighting to make it to the group phase of Africa’s second-tier club competition. They take on AS Simba away in Lubumbashi on the artificial turf of TP Mazembe Stadium in the first leg of this round on Saturday.
Amakhosi will then host their Congolese opponents at Soweto’s Dobsonville Stadium in a decisive leg eight days later. It is a season Chiefs started on a promising note, but they have now reverted to being the inconsistent side they have been in recent campaigns.
They are in the DR Congo, still fresh from the Carling Knockout Cup elimination by Stellenbosch FC just before the FIFA international break.
Having last played continental football in 2021 when they reached the CAF Champions League final, Ertugral feels Amakhosi’s response to the demands of the game in Africa will determine their progression.
“We have won it in 2001 [CAF Cup Winners’ Cup, later renamed CAF Confederation Cup.]. Let’s think differently about it now,” Ertugral told FARPost.
“The question for me is not about whether Chiefs can reach the Confederation Cup final, but the present identity, [if they are] mature enough to survive the difficult realities across the continent, which is really demanding.
“The CAF environment tests adaptability, not only talent. Travel in Africa, you will face humidity, chaos, and very high intensity. The kind that breaks your rhythm.”
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“Obviously, Chiefs are improving in their defensive organisation, and you can see there is emphasis, and they look much more compact. What I can see is that they begin to play with clearer organisation between lines,” added Ertugral.
“I think, for me, the real test is always how to be in control under uncomfortable moments. I would say if they can develop a CAF identity which is different from the [domestic] routine and manage the tempo if necessary; win games ugly and stop offensive transitions from the opponents early, a semi-final could be realistic.”
Amakhosi’s opponents, AS Simba, have never reached the group stage of any continental competition, and they come up against the Betway Premiership side with some experience on the continent.
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