The tie is finely poised at 0-0, with all to play for as Amakhosi seek to reach the pool stages of the competition for the first time.
Here are five talking points ahead of the fixture at Dobsonville Stadium.
AWAY GOALS
Europe has scrapped the away goals rule, but it has been retained in African competitions, which places Chiefs in a tight spot. If they concede once, they will need to score twice, and as we discuss later, that is no easy feat for them. Whether away goals should still have a place in football is up for debate. It is meant to encourage more attacking play from away teams rather than having them sit back, but whether it would, in this case, effectively punish Chiefs by making any Simba goal worth two probably depends on which side of the fence you sit. Ashley du Preez had a yawning open goal in front of him in the dying minutes of Chiefs’ goalless draw at Simba in Lubumbashi and somehow missed the target. Could that horror miss come back to haunt them? A score draw will be enough for the visitors.
GOAL-SHY
Chiefs have been poor in front of goal in general this season, with Du Preez far from the only culprit. He was dropped from the side for the midweek 0-0 home draw with struggling Siwelele in the Betway Premiership, perhaps for his own protection after a social media backlash, and whether he returns to the line-up remains to be seen. Chiefs’ last three games have finished 0-0, including being dumped out of the Carling Knockout on penalties, and they have only scored more than once in a game on one occasion this season, when they beat Stellenbosch 2-0 in their opening match back in August. They have nine goals in 13 games in all competitions, which is nowhere near good enough.
PHYSICAL APPROACH
Chiefs co-coach Khalid Ben Youseff has warned the second leg will not be an easy clash, as Simba have a tough, physical approach that Amakhosi clearly struggle to deal with, given how small many of their players are. There is a lot of technical ability in the Chiefs team, but they are not a big side, something that was also evident in their first-round clash against Angolan side Kabuscorp, when they were bullied on the ball but still came through the tie on penalties.
STRONG HOME RECORD
Chiefs do have an excellent home record in CAF club competitions down the years. They have played 32 games on their home patch, winning 22 of those, with five draws and five defeats. Interestingly, all five of those stalemates have ended 0-0, meaning they have never been involved in a score draw at home. Their record in the Confederation Cup is slightly more balanced, in five previous ties, they have three wins and two defeats, both by 2-1 scorelines against ASEC Abidjan (2014) and Zesco United (2018).
WILL THE FANS COME?
When Chiefs are winning, they get great support, and the stands are abuzz with expectation. But they have also played to near-empty stands in recent years as supporters vote with their feet. Taking the game away from the FNB Stadium and to Dobsonville may be a masterstroke, as it is much more convenient for fans to get to, even in a former stronghold of Moroka Swallows. Full stands will certainly give the team a boost, even if South African clubs fail to create the same ferocious atmosphere as other sides in continental football.
