Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze commended his team’s resilient
attitude after they secured a dramatic 1-1 draw against Zamalek in the CAF
Confederation Cup on Saturday.
Dillan Solomons was the late hero, forcing an own goal from the Zamalek
goalkeeper deep into stoppage time to snatch a point for the Soweto giants
at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium. The hard-fought result came despite a
challenging match that saw Chiefs lose both Bradley Cross and Gaston Sirino
to first-half injuries.
“The game didn’t start in our favour,” Kaze told SABC Sport. “We conceded
after three minutes, and then we had to make two substitutions within the
first 15 minutes. But we kept believing that we could come back.”
He praised the squad’s persistence, adding, “We kept our belief alive and
did everything to try to get back into the game. We scored at the very end,
and I’m so proud of the boys. With this kind of mentality and display, I’m
pretty sure we’ll qualify.”
Kaze also provided a preliminary update on Sirino, who was stretchered off
before the 25-minute mark. “It was a knock. We’re going to assess him
tonight and tomorrow to examine the extent, but I don’t think it’s something
very serious,” he said.
