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Strategist Amakhosi has lamented the terrain they will fight on, while also declining to be overwhelmed by harsh weather conditions.
Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt is unhappy with the grass inside Limbe Omnisport Stadium, home to Sunday’s Caf Champions League preliminary round, first leg against PWD Bamenda.
It is the first time since 2016 that the Chiefs have played in the Champions League, while the only appearance by their Cameroonian opponents in Africa was a second-round outing of the 2004 Caf Confederation Cup.
After a difficult run on the home front, the Chiefs came to Cameroon to find scorching temperatures, which Hunt said shouldn’t be as much of a concern as the state of the pitch at the match venue.
“We trained on Saturday afternoon just to feel the pitch, but we didn’t do much because of the heat,” Hunt told the Kaizer Chiefs website.
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“We just needed to get the trip off the legs. The stadium looks great, but our only concern is that the grass is too long, so it will be a different kind of game for us.
“We are not so concerned about extreme heat and humid weather conditions because when you enter this competition you expect to play in such conditions. I’m sure the players will manage. ”
The Chiefs welcome central defender Eric Mathoho, who returns to action after missing his last two Premier Soccer League games due to suspension.
Hunt believes the lanky defender is the man they need to deal with Bamenda’s “great players.”
“We are happy to have ‘Tower’ back,” said Hunt.
“His height will come in handy because you hope to have some great opposition players when you’re in West Africa. We hope to use it to deal with his big attackers. “
While the Chiefs have played eight games in all competitions so far this season, their opponents last took part in competitive action in March, when the Cameroonian League Elite ONE was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Bamenda’s lack of playing time could be an advantage for Hunt’s men, although the Cameroonians played some friendly matches recently, including the trip to Libya.
“We have seen some video footage, but the quality was not great,” Hunt said.
“Also, March is too far behind, so we don’t know what they really look like at the moment. We are aware that they played in Libya in a friendly, so we just have to go to the game and do our best ”.
The Chiefs will play for the first time since March inside a stadium with fans in the stands, as 200 fans can attend Sunday’s game.
