Kaizer Chiefs aim to defeat Golden Arrows in Nelspruit to close the gap on Sundowns and Pirates

Four South African clubs participating in continental competitions this season have determined their opponents in the next rounds of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates will continue their campaigns in the Champions League, while Kaizer Chiefs and Durban City have found out who they will face in the next stage of the Confederation Cup.

Sundowns received an opponent from Angola—Viliete, and Pirates will meet a team from Namibia—African Stars. In the Confederation Cup, Chiefs will play against a team from Zambia—Red Arrows, and Durban City will play Port Louis from Mauritius.

For Durban City, this match was a continuation of an impressive progression to the next round. Coach Khalil Ben Youssef expressed satisfaction with how his team handled the two-legged tie against Ruinzo.

Ben Youssef noted: 'It was a good two-legged performance on our part. We knew what we had to do after the first match, and the players did well in both games.'

The coach particularly praised the players' ability to adapt to unfamiliar conditions in the second match. He added: 'Coming here always presents a different challenge. You need to adapt to the conditions, the environment, and the game itself, and I think the players managed that well.'

Ben Youssef also emphasized that Durban City was not just set to defend the advantage gained in the first match. He stated: 'We came here not to sit back and defend the result of the first match. We wanted to play, we wanted to score a goal, and we wanted to win the game, and we did that.'

The match was not without tense moments, as Ruinzo managed to equalize after Durban City took a dominant position.

Khalil Ben Youssef commented on the situation when the team was leading 2-0: 'When we were leading 2-0, we were in a strong position, but when they scored, we had to remain calm. I think the players showed good character to manage the game and see it through.'

Durban City is experiencing continental football at this level for the first time, and Ben Youssef believes that every round brings valuable experience to the club. He noted: 'For the club, this is new experience. We learn with every game and every round, and it is important that we continue to improve along the way.'

The coach quickly shifted focus to the next task after securing qualification. He concluded: 'We are happy to advance, but this is what we expected from ourselves. Now we need to recover, go home, and prepare for the next challenge.'

Mamelodi Sundowns has officially announced the signing of Tabanga Matuludi. His addition to Deano van Rooyen and Huliso Mudau in the Chloorkop expands the club's defensive options ahead of the intense season.

The signing of Matuludi was announced by the club on Tuesday. He is intended to replace injured right-back Huliso Mudau, who is a key player for the national team. Matuludi's arrival came just days after 'The Brazilians' signed free agent Deano van Rooyen.

The club had previously shown significant interest in Matuludi following his impressive performances for Polokwane City. Having three top right-backs in the country gives coach Miguel Cardoso great confidence in defending the Betway Premiership title and competing on all continental fronts.

National Team Dilemma

However, his colleagues in the national team face a completely different problem. Pitso Mosimane may face a difficult task in squad selection when all three players are fully fit. Since only one of them can play regularly at the club level, the other two will likely feature in reserve or on the bench.

This sharply contrasts with the period when Mudau and Matuludi were simultaneously regular players at Sundowns and Polokwane City, respectively. The arrival of two elite right-backs in the same transfer window also sparked discussions about Sundowns' player recruitment strategy after the active transfer period.

Commenting on the club's transfer policy, Cardoso emphasized that player recruitment goes beyond his direct responsibilities, noting that Sundowns has a specialized scouting team responsible for finding suitable talent. While Cardoso is pleased with Matuludi's arrival, Mosimane may view accumulating national-level players as much more critical.