Kaizer Chiefs’ CAF Final Loss: Inexperience and Key Decisions

AmaZulu defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele discussed the factors behind Kaizer Chiefs’ defeat in the 2021 CAF Champions League final. The team reached the final during a challenging season marked by a transfer ban, which limited their ability to sign new players. Gavin Hunt led the team through most of the competition but was replaced by Stuart Baxter before the final against Al Ahly. Mphahlele recalled, “It was chaotic because we had Gavin Hunt as the coach, and then he was strangely fired even though we were doing well.” Arthur Zwane briefly took over before Baxter’s appointment. The final was held in Casablanca, considered neutral but perceived as advantageous for Al Ahly due to its proximity to Egypt. Despite a solid game plan, Chiefs faced difficulties after Happy Mashiane’s red card shifted momentum. “We started well, but we then went a man down… When they scored, we tried our best to get back into it,” Mphahlele noted.