“Every game is a final” — Kaizer Chiefs’ Inacio Miguel on bruising Group D test

Kaizer Chiefs defender Inacio Miguel says the club will embrace a “no-excuses” mindset for the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup group stage, calling their section “very difficult” but exactly what you expect at this level. 

The Angolan international, who won continental experience with Petro de Luanda before joining Amakhosi last year, believes Chiefs must treat all six fixtures like knock-out ties and lean on a blend of seasoned campaigners and rising talent.

He also warned that CAF travel and conditions will demand focus across “every 90 minutes” if Chiefs are to reach the quarter-finals.

Chiefs were drawn into a rugged Group D with Egyptian rivals Zamalek and Al Masry plus Zambia’s ZESCO United — a pool widely viewed as one of the tournament’s toughest.

Matchday 1 is set for 21–23 November, with two rounds played before the AFCON break and the group resuming in late January.

Reflecting on the draw, Miguel struck a proud but pragmatic note.

“First of all, it’s a moment of pride for us and for the fans to represent Kaizer Chiefs in Africa,” he said.

“We know we have a very difficult group — but we were expecting that. We’re among the best clubs in Africa, and we are one of them.”

The defender’s CAF know-how tells him there are no soft landings. “My experience from CAF is that there are no easy games,” he explained.

“Wherever you play, matches are difficult and there is a lot of travelling. We have to focus on our 90-minute performance — that’s where we make the difference.”

Miguel wants Chiefs to bring a cup-tie edge from the first whistle. “Every game is a final, even in the group stage,” he said.

“You can’t rely on ‘getting it back’ in the second game. We must go into every match with responsibility and the mentality that we have to do it.”

A solid domestic run has helped, he added, while noting the contrast between competitions. “PSL is PSL; CAF is CAF,” he said.

“The rhythm and some of the pitches are different. Our goal is to reach the same level in both and achieve our best in both competitions.”

Crucially, Miguel believes the Chiefs squad mixes nous and youth in the right measure.

 “I’m one more to add experience,” he said.

“We have players who’ve been here — remember, Mduduzi Mdantsane (Machaya ‘Machini’) played a Champions League final in 2019 — and young talents like Mfundo Vilakazi and Du Preez Aiden coming strong. It’s a good mix, and we have a very good chance to do something different and bring happiness to our supporters.”

Group D schedule at a glance (local dates)

• MD1 – 23 Nov 2025: Zamalek vs ZESCO United; Al Masry vs Kaizer Chiefs

• MD2 – 30 Nov 2025: Kaizer Chiefs vs Zamalek; ZESCO United vs Al Masry

• MD3 – 25 Jan 2026: ZESCO United vs Kaizer Chiefs; Zamalek vs Al Masry

• MD4 – 1 Feb 2026: Kaizer Chiefs vs ZESCO United; Al Masry vs Zamalek

• MD5 – 8 Feb 2026: ZESCO United vs Zamalek; Kaizer Chiefs vs Al Masry

• MD6 – 15 Feb 2026: Zamalek vs Kaizer Chiefs; Al Masry vs ZESCO United

Two teams advance to the quarter-finals, with group-stage clubs guaranteed at least USD 400,000 and qualifiers earning a minimum of USD 550,000 in prize money.

For Chiefs, the path is clear — six “finals”, starting in Egypt at the end of November.