Kaizer Chiefs' continental dreams were extinguished on Saturday night as they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Egyptian giants Zamalek SC at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium.
The result, paired with unfavourable scores elsewhere, sees the Soweto giants finish third in Group D, missing out on the quarter-finals by the thinnest of margins.
A tale of two halves
Entering the final matchday as group leaders, Amakhosi needed only a draw to secure their progression. The first half was a tense, tactical affair where Chiefs' defence, led by Brandon Petersen, held firm against the “White Knights.”
However, the deadlock was broken in the 53rd minute when Juan Bezerra (also reported as Juan Alvina) headed home from close range after a cross from Nasser Mansy. The situation went from bad to word in the 72nd minute when 40-year-old veteran Abdallah El Said doubled Zamalek's lead with a clinical finish into the far corner.
Glody Lilepo gave Chiefs a glimmer of hope just three minutes later, heading in from a corner to make it 2-1. Despite a frantic final ten minutes and the introduction of Khanyiso Mayo and Mfundo Vilakazi, the equaliser remained elusive.
The Group D standings
The elimination was made even more bitter by events in Suez. Al Masry defeated ZESCO United 2-0, leaving both Al Masry and Kaizer Chiefs on 10 points.
“We didn't enter the game with the right attitude and mentality. We respected the opponent too much, giving them time and space to play.” - Cedric Kaze, Kaizer Chiefs Co-Coach.
What's next for Amakhosi?
The exit marks a difficult February for the club, who were also recently knocked out of the Nedbank Cup by Stellenbosch FC. With continental and domestic cup ambitions over, the technical team must now pivot entirely to the Betway Premiership to salvage their season and secure a higher league finish.