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Amakhosi is in Cameroon to play in the continent’s elite club competition for the first time since 2016
Kaizer Chiefs striker Khama Billiat warned his teammates not to get carried away if they win Sunday’s Caf Champions League preliminary round, the first leg against Cameroonian champion PWD Bamenda, while reminds them that negative results can lead to better results.
Gavin Hunt’s Chiefs are back in the Champions League, where they last participated in 2016, when they were eliminated by the Ivorian giants Asec Mimosas in the first round stage.
They arrived in Cameroon on Friday in the context of a difficult race at home and would like to bury their domestic troubles with the victory over PWD Bamenda.
“I’ve been telling the guys that nothing is different when it comes to the game, but the score in Africa is important, a draw away from home means a lot,” Billiat told the Kaizer Chiefs website.
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“They must understand that we did not win the competition in the first game, it is a work in progress and that sometimes negative results in this competition can help you have the energy you need to keep going.
“It will be difficult. Other teams will do their best to distract you, some teams have a lot of experience traveling and getting to know other cultures, they know how to intimidate their opposing teams and we just have to be focused ”.
The bosses participate in this competition with several players who have previously participated in both club and international football on the continent.
Billiat and Leonardo Castro won the 2016 Champions League with Mamelodi Sundowns and are considered the most experienced players on the team.
People like Eric Mathoho, goalkeepers Daniel Akpeyi and Itumeleng Khune, Lebogang Manyama, and defender Daniel Cardoso have experience playing international soccer with their respective national teams.
“Having the experience will definitely help the team as it will motivate the guys,” Billiat said.
“We have extremely talented players who can adapt quickly. We want to challenge ourselves and see how well we can do it.
“We need to go out there and challenge in Africa and get this team back where it belongs. It starts now and we have to rise to the task at hand and put our character to the test against great teams.
“If you can play for the Chiefs, you can play anywhere.
“Playing for the Chiefs means that you are a good player and that football is the same, the more confident the team has, the better we will come together as a single unit.”
Lately much of the Chiefs’ focus had been on domestic competitions, as they last played in Africa during the 2018/19 season, when they were eliminated from the Caf Confederation Cup by Zesco United in the play-off round. with an overall score of 5-2 after losing both legs.
Interestingly, Chiefs midfielder Anthony Akumu was one of Zesco’s scorers when he won the second leg 2-1 at FNB Stadium, while another main forward, Lazarous Kambole, had scored in the 3-1 victory. in the first leg in Ndola.
But both players are currently struggling to find their footing in Amakhosi and Kambole is a shadow of a player who finished as the top scorer in the 2018 Champions League.
