Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt has described their 2-2 draw with Guinea side Horoya Athletic Club in the CAF Champions League as a huge fight.
The draw at the General Lasana Conte Stadium in Conakry, Guinea, on Saturday evening took Amakhosi to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Daniel Cardoso and Khama Billiat scored for Amakhosi with Yakhouba Gnagna Barry and Sekou Canada netting for Horoya.
Both Chiefs and Horoya finished Group C with nine points, but Amakhosi qualified for the last eight of the competition by virtue of having scored more away goals against the Guinea side. The two sides drew goalless in Johannesburg.
“We knew to qualify we had to have a score draw or win the game. That was a huge fight, great achievement for the club. First time we got out of the group stages. It’s gonna be tough, tough who we are gonna draw,” Hunt said.
While Chiefs supporters are celebrating reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time, the former Bidvest Wits, SuperSport United, Moroka Swallows, Black Leopards, Hellenic and Seven Stars mentor has warned saying Amakhosi have won nothing yet.
“We have won nothing, we have just gone through. This is a hell of a competition. We haven’t signed a player, nothing. You’ve got to look at that perspective. This is a big achievement so far. We have overachieved,” Hunt said.
“To win league titles is obviously the ultimate. Obviously, this is the flagship, you’ve got to taste it. We need our domestic form. We had no striker. Your striker can help you in your goals as well. We had to play in a different way. We knew once we were 2-2 that we were in.”
With Chiefs having achieved their goal to reach the last eight of the Champions League, they are now coming back home to fix their domestic campaign, which started badly. Amakhosi are ninth on the DStv Premiership standings with 24 points having won five, drawn nine and lost six matches. Chiefs are unbeaten in their last eight matches.
“We need another 17 points in the league to get ourselves into the top-eight. It sounds doable, sometimes easier said than done. We have a hell of a game at Baroka on Thursday. We will regroup and try to get there,” Hunt said.
“The club brought me here to win trophies. We need to look at our squad going forward. We need to challenge for trophies on all fronts. If we stick together and go the path I want I know we will be successful.”
