Miguel: Chiefs must overpower Red Arrows to advance to Confed Cup group stages

These were the views of AmaKhosi vice-captain and Angolan international defender Inacio Miguel yesterday. 

Arrows, the Zambian Super League side, won the first leg 1-0 from a powerful header by Malian attacker Allasane Diarra. 

Miguel, who has years of experience playing at this level, highlights the need for his club to be fully prepared for a physical contest.

"They were more aggressive than us and that's something that the coach tried to press for us, that we have to fight, sometimes he feels like our team is too sloppy to get into the game,” Miguel said.

“Sometimes we delay to get into the game and the Red Arrows were there, they were ready to fight but now it's our turn, we play at home, we play in front of our fans. 

“A word to the fans it's to understand that we're also players, we also get frustrated, we're the first ones obviously. The emotions that go on to the fans because sometimes they travel from far, like today we have the example of playing in Durban, people come from all over South Africa and I feel that we shouldn't dissapoint them, all we have to do is fight."

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Set pieces are an area Chiefs mastered last season, but with a few changes in their defense and a new approach to how the current technical team works, there’s been a slight twist. 

Miguel says it’s their responsibility as defenders in particular to dominate set plays.

"Yeah, obviously, especially me as a defender, going through setpieces defensively, it's the time that I have to put my responsibility you know because the coach mentioned that in the field we have two, three players that are the leaders of the team. It's not only one, it's not only the captain so it's my responsibility when we conceed a goal on the corner,” he added.

“It's something that we try to improve, it's something that we work on as the coach said but yeah, it's part of the game. Football is a game of mistakes and those ones that they concede less mistakes are more close to win."