Kaizer Chiefs will be eyeing a spot in the knockout phase when they welcome Al Masry in their penultimate CAF Confederation Cup Group D fixture at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday.
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Kick-off is at 3pm CAT.
CURRENT FORM
Amakhosi saw their seven-match unbeaten run across all competitions come to an end when they were edged out 2-1 by Stellenbosch FC in the Nedbank Cup Round of 32 on Wednesday. They had registered four successive wins before their defence of the South African FA Cup ended.
Chiefs currently sit third in Group D, a point behind leaders Zamalek. The Soweto giants could secure their spot in the quarterfinals with a game to spare if they overcome Al Masry, ahead of their finale with Zamalek in Egypt.
A 1-0 win, or any victory by two clear goals for Chiefs would secure Amakhosi's qualification to the next round, thanks to CAF's tiebreaker rules prioritising head-to-head records when teams finish level on points.
Their visitors, Al Masry, are winless in their last two matches across all competitions, having drawn 1-1 with ZED in the Egyptian Premier League on Wednesday. Before that, the Green Eagles had suffered a 2-1 defeat to Zamalek in the Confederation Cup Group D match.
The Port Said-based side currently sit second in the Group D standings - one point behind leaders Zamalek. They will secure their spot in the knockout phase if they overcome Chiefs, before hosting ZESCO United in their last group stage fixture.
This is because Al Masry's superior Head-to-Head record would give them the edge over Chiefs if they finished on level points (10) with ZESCO United already eliminated and Zamalek still in contention.
TEAM NEWS
Chiefs have no suspension concerns coming into this crucial fixture, but Bradley Cross, Reeve Frosler, Rushwin Dortley, Thabo Cele and Sibongiseni Mthethwa are still sidelined by respective injuries.
Al Masry, on the other hand, have been dealt a blow as Bonheur Mugisha will be missing due to a one-match suspension, while Baher El Mohamady is also expected to be absent after undergoing surgery.
WHAT WAS SAID?
Kaizer Chiefs co-head coach Cedric Kaze
“It's not a good thing to get eliminated from the Nedbank because it's a cup that we love and we wanted to do everything to go all the way," Kaze said.
"But unfortunately, we are out and we have to focus on our next games, which are the Confederation Cup and the league. I don't want to find any excuse for the defeat, but it's very tough. I'm so proud of the players. They did everything they could, but in our situation, it's very tough to play every three days with the trips that we are doing.
"And sometimes, you know, the players are taking time to get into the game, although even before the game, we emphasise that we need to get straight into the game,” Kaze added.
Al Masry head coach Nabil Kouki
"The team (Zamalek) that was more focused won. The second goal came from a set piece, and there was a lack of focus in finishing the balls," Kouki said.
"Playing against Zamalek, a great team that knows how to take advantage of opportunities, is a challenge. We must prepare for the upcoming matches. We will try to win the next two matches against Kaizer Chiefs and ZESCO United of Zambia. Our chances of qualifying are still high, and we hold on to hope.
"There is no stadium in Al Masry where we can train, and we travel long distances before the match to play in Suez. Many players were out of focus today against Zamalek."
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This will be the second-ever meeting between Kaizer Chiefs and Al Masry.
Their maiden meeting ended in a 2-1 win in favour of the Green Eagles in the Confederation Cup Group D match in November 2025 at the Suez Stadium in Egypt.