Kaizer Chiefs hire their own plane to Madagascar with eye on Christmas

Kaizer Chiefs will hire an expensive charter to get them to Madagascar and more importantly be back in time for Christmas.

Chiefs take a 3-0 lead against Elgeco Plus of Madagascar to Antananarivo for the return leg of their African Confederation Cup second round tie on Saturday.

Flight links with the island nation are not available daily and Chiefs do not want their team to be stuck in Tana with the holidays approaching.

Accordingly‚ the team will make the three hour flight on Friday‚ train at the match venue on the eve of Saturday’s game‚ play their match and then head home.

“It is an expensive exercise but we have no alternative because there are not that many flights‚” Chiefs’ football manager bobby Motaung told TimesLIVE.

The club will then give the players time off from Monday through to Thursday to celebrate Christmas but all are expected back for training on Friday‚ December 27.

“We will give them two more days off over New Year‚” Motaung explained.

Chiefs first game of 2019 is arguably their toughest of the campaign yet‚ against champions Mamelodi Sundowns at Soccer City on Saturday‚ January 5.

Chiefs are heavily fancied to progress to the third round of the Confederation Cup with the three goal advantage they amassed over Elgeco Plus at the Moses Mabhida stadium last Saturday night.

Aggregate victory will see them go into the draw for the third round of the cup where the 16 winners of second round matches in the Confederation Cup are paired against 16 teams who have lost in the Champions League.

There is therefore a chance that Chiefs could play arch rivals Orlando Pirates in yet another derby if the Buccaneers are eliminated in Namibia on Saturday and drop down to the Confederation Cup from the Champions League.

Or Sundowns‚ for that matter‚ if they are unable to get past Libyan opponents Al Ahly Benghazi.