“We have to be very shrewd,” says Maboe as Chiefs gear up for Zamalek in Polokwane

Kaizer Chiefs will be pressed to register some points in the Caf Confederation Cup group stages when they host Egyptian giants Zamalek at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo, at 3pm on Saturday.

Amakhosi are under pressure to win this tie after suffering a last-gasp 2-1 loss away to another Egyptian side Al Mastry in Suez, Egypt last Sunday.

Al Mastry went six points clear of Chiefs on Friday after beating Zesco United 3-2 in Zambia, which leaves Group D in an interesting situation.

Chiefs cannot allow Zamalek to also register their second victory after their 1-0 win at home over Zesco last week.

A second successive defeat will leave the Soweto giants with a mammoth task to catch up in the last four group games.

Midfielder Lebohang Maboe, who is yet to start a match for Chiefs after joining the club from Mamelodi Sundowns at the beginning of the 2025-2026 campaign, knows all too well about the importance of staying in the race in such competitions, having played many matches with the Brazilians in the Caf Champions League.

“It’s our home game and we want to win at all costs to get the three points to obviously progress to the next stage of the tournament,” said Maboe of Saturday’s match.

“I think everyone in the camp knows how important Saturday’s game is and, very calmly so, we’re looking forward to it.”

There’s a bit of history between five-time Champions League winners Zamalek and Chiefs as they last met in 1993 in the previous version of the Champions League where the Egyptians prevailed on aggregate after suffering a 2-1 defeat away but won 1-0 in Cairo.

Zamalek have also won the Confederation Cup twice which makes them one of the favourites in this year’s competition but Maboe insisted Chiefs learnt a lot in their loss away to Mastry last week to recover in Polokwane.

“Especially games in Caf competitions they give you that sense of being in control. Looking at the game (last week) in the first half we were in control but the game can literally change within a split second.

“We have to make sure that we’re very shrewd and convert the half chances that we’re going to get because in the Caf games you’re not always going to have a clear chance to score.

“For us, it is to just bury the game when we still feel that we’re dominating the opponents. Getting goals is the most important thing and it is how you win games.

“If you don’t score obviously you won’t win any games. We need to convert the half chances that we get.”

Frustratingly, Maboe’s introduction at Chiefs has been slow because he joined the club carrying an injury from his loan spell at the now defunct SuperSport United.

But his experience is what Chiefs might need against the mighty Zamalek.

“I’m settling in very, very well,” said Maboe of his current status at Chiefs. I know my chance will come. My teammates have been doing very well and I know myself and I trust my abilities.

“It’s just a matter of time and definitely my chance will come. For me, my job for now is to support the players that are playing and clap for others while I’m still waiting for my chance.”

Maboe has no doubt that his Champions League experience might make a difference in a Chiefs squad full of players playing in a Caf competition for the first time.

“In some games (his experience) it will come handy because I know how it feels playing away,” admitted Maboe. “I know the pressure of playing in these competitions.

“As I said, it (last week’s game) gave us a sense of being in control but we didn’t convert the chances that we got. I know we’ll definitely grow in the tournament, that’s for sure.”