With Club football back after the FIFA international break, Kaizer Chiefs are in the Democratic Republic of Congo this afternoon to play AS Simba in the first-leg of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup preliminary stage second round.

Both teams advanced after winning their first round matches of this season’s competition, with Chiefs beating Angolan side, Kabuscorp and Simba seeing off Djabal Club d’Iconi of Comoros.

Chiefs’ international stars have returned after the FIFA break that saw Mduduzi Shabalala represent Bafana Bafana, who have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, against Fiacre Ntwari’s Rwanda, and Mfundo Vilakazi excelling for the national U20 team, Amajita, at the FIFA U20 World in Chile.

The coaching staff will be excited to have Khanyisa Mayo, who missed the first round matches due to registration constraints, available as he joins his teammates on this exciting expedition to Lubumbashi.

Amakhosi’s last game was a Carling Cup Knockout Cup in Cape Town against Stellenbosch, and the coaches have made two changes from that match in the Starting XI, with Brandon Petersen coming back to replace Ntwari and Shabalala making way for Siphesihle Ndlovu.

The attacking line-up goes out in search of away goals with a 4-1-4-1 formation.

Petersen is the ‘keeper.

The back four remains the same, with Bradley Cross on the left, Inacio Miguel and Zitha Kwinika in central defence, and Dillan Solomons on the right.

Sibongiseni Mthethwa is the defensive midfielder.

The four attacking midfielders are Pule Mmodi on the left, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Ndlovu operating centrally and the local boy, Glody Lilepo, on the right wing.

Khanyisa Mayo leads the attack.

This afternoon’s referee is Bamlak Tessema Weyesa. He is assisted by Tigle Gizaw Belachew and Yebekal Desalegne Desalgne Alemayhu Yebekal. The fourth official is Ashebir Seboka SebokaWordofa. All four of them are from Ethiopia.

The TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup match between Amakhosi and AS Simba will start at 15:00 at Stade TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi. The match will not be televised or broadcast on the radio. There will be regular updates on the Club’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account, @kaizerchiefs.

Chiefs XI:  Petersen (1), Solomons (18), Kwinika © (4), Miguel (14), Mthethwa (5), Cross (27), Ndlovu (8), Ngcobo (12), Mmodi (13), Lilepo (19), Mayo (3)

Subs: Bvuma (44); McCarthy (35), Frosler (39), Cele (21), Sirino (10), Vilakazi (), Shabalala (7), Duba (36), Du Preez (9)

Coaches: Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze

AS Simba XI: Dida (33); Mangoba (24), Kabasele (4), Ilunga Kamwanga © (5), Keta (26),  Ilume (19), Kazadi (23), Amisi (25), Nsona Kinkela (17), Mutuale Nyongani (28), Ilunga Nsungu (7)

Subs: Mbo Mpoy(16); Mbuka (3), Kamwang (8), Kidinda (9), Kongolo (11),  Ntumba(15), Tango (20), Samine (29

Coach: Mutombo Tshota