Petersen the hero as Chiefs progress in CAF Confederation Cup

KAIZER Chiefs clawed their way into the final round of the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary qualifiers after defeating Kabuscorp 5-4 on penalties in the second leg of their first round qualifier.

- MIHLALI BALEKA.

Chiefs won 1-0 at home yesterday at FNB Stadium, cancelling out the 1-0 defeat in Angola last week.

The win will bring a sigh of relief to Amakhosi. They’ve been under scrutiny in the last few days after suspending head coach Nasreddine Nabi and handing the reins to his former lieutenants Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef.

Kaze explained in the pre-match press conference that they have Nabi's blessing, which is why they stayed put at the club. They aim to reach the next round of qualifiers to make him and the club proud.

Chiefs converted all their penalties after the tie ended 1-1 over 180 minutes, while Brandon Petersen came to the team’s rescue, saving the second penalty during the shootout.

Chiefs will now turn their focus to the midweek league clash, where they'll host AmaZulu, led by former club legend and coach Arthur Zwane.

After that, they’ll face Stellenbosch FC in the first round of the Carling Knockout on Sunday at Cape Town Stadium. Chiefs haven't been at their best in continental football since winning the Mandela Cup, which was a precursor to the Confederation Cup. So much so that their run to the Champions League final in 2020 was widely regarded as a fluke.