Cele on how Chiefs can take advantage of 1st leg in Lubumbashi

Chiefs travelled to Lubumbashi yesterday, where they are playing the first leg, and a win in this tie will see them progress to the group stages.

But an away goal is crucial, and Cele doesn’t see a second leg at home as an advantage.

"People like to say that it is an advantage to play the first leg away from home, but I think anything can happen in football. Whether you are playing at home or away, there is always pressure and expectations to win, especially if you play for this club."

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In the previous round, AS Simba were firing as they defeated Djabal from Comoros 3-0 on aggregate, including a 2-0 win away.

Chiefs have been struggling in front of goals this season, and Cele says this is the one tie where they need to do better.

"As useful as the statistics may be, we just need to stick to our game and focus on the things we have been trying to sharpen. 

"We have been creating a lot of chances, but we need to improve our conversion rate."

Amakhosi will be playing Simba at the TP Mazembe stadium, which has an artificial pitch. Usually, South African teams struggle on such surfaces, but Cele says it’s something they can handle.

In the previous round, Chiefs had travelled to Angola to monitor Kabuscorp, but they didn’t have that opportunity with AS Simba. Cele trusts that they will have enough information on the team from the coaching staff and analysts.