Five Kaizer Chiefs players leaving Naturena this week

At least five Kaizer Chiefs players will be on national duty during this week’s FIFA international break with Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers resuming for the 2022 tournament.

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In addition, the South Africa U-23 team – with three Kaizer Chiefs representatives – will continue their preparations for this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo with a training camp.

SA U-23 coach David Notoane has called up Amakhosi defender Reeve Frosler, as well as midfield duo Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Happy Mashiane to his training camp in eThekwini which began last Sunday and will run until 29 March.

The South Africa U-23 team will find out their opponents at the Olympic Games to be held in Japan from 23 July to 8 August when the draw is conducted at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on 21 April.

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Meanwhile, goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and Bafana Bafana will be looking to take a step closer to the AFCON early next year with a win against Ghana on Thursday, 25 March at the FNB Stadium.

Currently, South Africa and the Black Stars are joint top of Group C with nine points.

Ghana lead the way as they have a better head-to-head record than South Africa. Bafana will travel to face Sudan on Sunday, 28 March, which will be their final game in the qualifiers.

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In addition, also on international duty this weekend is Anthony Akumu Agay who will be hoping to help Kenya defeat Egypt at home on 25 March and away to Togo on 29 March.

Kenya face a tough battle to qualify even if they win both their games in Group G as they still need results elsewhere to go their way.

Another Chiefs player Khama Billiat was called up by Zimbabwe for their matches away against Botswana and home to Zambia in Group H. 

However, as he is still recovering from injury, ZIFA and Kaizer Chiefs came to an agreement to allow him to remain in Johannesburg and continue with his recovery process.

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Daniel Akpeyi is on standby for Nigeria who will be taking on Benin and Lesotho in their final games in Group L.

A win for the Super Eagles in either of those matches should be enough to qualify them for the AFCON tournament to be held in Cameroon next year.

“Our players definitely need a mental break. It’s not a physical break – they need to mentally get away from the game, there’s no doubt about it,” said Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt when asked whether the FIFA week was timely.

“There’s a couple who are not going to train, we are going to have to get the ones who are not fit fitter and there’s about seven or eight that need a complete break.

“They will have a couple of days off and they will be recharged and we go again for the last push.

“And this is the only time we can do it because the guys hardly had a Christmas, they’ve been going and hardly had an off season. It’s more mental, our mistakes this season.

“You can always work on fitness, but sometimes a break from the game is always better,” Hunt added.

Kaizer Chiefs will return to action on Saturday, 3 April when they host Wydad Casablanca in a crucial CAF Champions League group clash.

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