Amakhosi face Wydad Casablanca in the second leg of their continental semi-final on Saturday
Former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Fatau Dauda has backed Kaizer Chiefs to defeat Wydad Casablanca and go on to win the Caf Champions League this season.
In an exclusive interview with Goal, the ex-Black Stars stopper put his Buccaneers loyalties to one side and praised the Amakhosi for their fine run in Africa’s premier club competition so far this term.
Arthur Zwane’s charges hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg of their final four meeting with the Moroccan giants after Samir Nurkovic scored the only goal of the game in the previous clash between the pair.
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“Kaizer Chiefs have done well considering where they are coming from, playing in the Caf games and getting to the semi-final,” Dauda told Goal. “I believe they can win it.
“They are showing character and they are doing well,” he continued. “They are doing well, they are scoring both home and away—which is good.”
Chiefs have had to find inner resolve to advance in continental competition against the backdrop of a miserable domestic campaign in which they finished eighth in the PSL.
Unable to get the best out of his squad, and hamstrung by Chiefs’ transfer ban, Gavin Hunt lost his job as head coach, but interim tactician Zwane has steadied the ship and oversaw an impressive victory against Wydad in the first leg.
“I know, from when I was playing in South Africa with Orlando Pirates, how they are, how they play, how good they are,” Dauda continued, “and I’ve watched some of their games in the Caf Champions League.”
While Chiefs are in pole position heading into Saturday’s second leg at the FNB Stadium, they will be conscious of how slender their advantage is.
Nurkovic’s winner in the first leg—awarded by VAR after initially being deemed offside—gave them the lead, but Bruce Bvuma’s heroics between the sticks ultimately ensured Chiefs got over the line.
Despite their domestic troubles, this Chiefs side are breaking new ground in continental competition.
While they may be South Africa’s most popular club, and were African Cup Winners’ Cup winners back in 2001, they are without a trophy for seven years, and have never reached this stage of Africa’s top club competition.
Should they advance against Wydad, they will face either Al-Ahly or Esperance in the final, with Pitso Mosimane’s side holding a 1-0 advantage from the first-leg showdown between the pair.
