Aspiring Amakhosi defender, Kabelo Nkgwesa is relishing his first taste of continental club football on Kaizer Chiefs’ trip to Zambia, where they will face Red Arrows in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Saturday afternoon.

“I am very excited for this wonderful opportunity, yet I know the objective of the team in coming here so as much as I am excited I just want to contribute any way I can to help the team win as we want to qualify for the group stage,” he tells www.kaizerchiefs.com following training on arrival in Zambia.

The 19-year-old, who graduated from the Club’s youth development academy, was on Amakhosi’s pre-season tour of Spain, where he played in some friendlies, but this will be his introduction into the competitive African club arena.

The tough yet skillful left-back, however, has been preparing well to rise to the challenge if called upon. “What I know is that African football is very aggressive and very competitive so I am ready mentally for whatever is going to happen and my teammates have also been sharing their experiences with me about getting into the right frame of mind,” he reveals.

Chiefs play Red Arrows over two legs for a place in the group stage of this year’s CAF Confederation Cup, with the second leg scheduled for Friday evening, 23 October, at Moses Mabhida stadium. Nkgwesa is confident they have the wherewithal to get the job done. “We have seen a bit of them but we are here to execute our own game plan which we believe will be a winning strategy,” he says.

Kick-off on Saturday is at 15:00.