Away goal gives Chiefs a perfect start to Champions League campaign

Kaizer Chiefs’ first run in the 2020/21 Caf Champions League got on to a dream start as they secured a 1-0 away at PWD Bamenda of Cameroon in Limbe on Sunday afternoon, to gain an edge ahead of the second leg of their preliminary qualifier.

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Amakhosi were made to sweat for their win, with Bamenda not taking the defeat lying down as they threw everything at their visitors and even had a penalty saved towards the end.

It was a highly needed win for Amakhosi, who had gone five games without registering a favourable result on the domestic front.

The game was a bit slow in the begining but Amakhosi had more of the ball and had their opponent on the back foot.

But as has been their Achilles heel even on the domestic front, they just couldn’t create any real scoring chances, nor get an important first goal that would put Bamenda on the back foot.

Going to Cameroon, Amakhosi had scored just four goals in eight games, and had been on a five game winless streak.

But it had been hoped that an away game with less pressure would be the turning point for Gavin Hunt’s side.

Bamenda did have a few threatening moments but is was nothing that Itumeleng Khune couldn’t deal with.

The second half also more of the same as none of the teams could make any meaningful headway in terms of attack.

But things changed towards the end with second half substitute for Amakhosi, Lebogang Manyama, setting up Erick Mathoho for the winner as they pushed everyone up front trying to steal an important away goal.

The goal now sets them up nicely to avoid the embarrassment of getting knocked out in the preliminary stages of the competition. Chiefs have never qualified for the group stages of the Caf Champions League.

Soon after Amakhosi took the lead, Bamenda were awarded a penalty but Khune stood hos ground and made the save.

In the Caf Confederation Cup, Bloemfontein Celtic had a good outing out in the Democratic Republic of Congo where they score twice on the road to beat AS Maniema Union 2-0, also on Sunday afternoon. Haris Tchilimbou and Menzi Ndwandwe’s first half goals were enough to set Celtic off to a fairytale start.