Only two of the playing squad that arrived in Egypt on Thursday morning remain from Amakhosi side that reached the CAF Champions League final in 2021.

The ‘survivors’, goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma and midfielder Nkosingiphile ‘Mshini’ Ngcobo, go into the Club’s opening CAF Confederation Cup, Group D fixture against Al Masry in Suez on Sunday with the added motivation to go one better this time around after suffering the disappointment of falling at the final hurdle against Al-Ahly four years ago.

Rather than dwelling on past misfortunes, Bvuma reveals to www.kaizerchiefs.com how much he appreciates being back on the continental stage.

“Being back is very exciting. I am lucky enough to have reached a CAF final and remember how sweet the journey was.” he reminisces. “Yes, we had challenges along the way but it was a great experience. Playing on the continent, you get exposure, which has led to some of our players moving abroad after doing well against other top African teams.”

The pair make up only a handful of Glamour Boys who have a continental footballing pedigree but Bvuma believes the knowledge they are imparting to those ‘dipping their toes into the water’ for the first time will prove beneficial in the heat of battle on Sunday.

“Having players with experience of playing at this level, such as ‘Mshini’ and also (Khanyisa) Mayo, (Inacio) Miguel and Lebo (Maboe), will help us a lot,” he opines.

Of Al Masry, he says, “We know they are a very good team that will play with typical north African determination so we are prepared for a tussle, but I believe we have the players in our squad to cope with the challenge and return with a positive result. It is always great to get three points and that is what we will be aiming for. We don’t want to reach the last round with the pressure of needing to win. But it is equally important to ensure we don’t lose our first game, which will put us on the back foot.”

Bvuma’s teammate, Ngcobo, who made the final CAF Champions league team of 2021 after his performances, is as determined to go deep into the competition, as he did in 2021, beginning with making a good start away from home to establish a foundation to build on.
“I am pleased to have qualified for the group stage and am looking forward to winning some games because I want to go all the way (to winning the competition)” he says. “The coaches told us that a victory in this game will pave the way towards our goal of reaching the next phase, although it will not be easy. Playing away from home, the focus is to keep the game tight and capitalise on every opportunity that comes our way.”

To his teammates about to take their first steps at this level ,’Mshini’ advises them that “it is a valuable experience that they will cherish for the rest of their lives so they must go out and give their best.”