Kaizer Chiefs' Lebohang Maboe on Zesco United: They play undesirable and awkward type of football with a lot of long balls

Lebohang Maboe is likely to irk the Zesco United coach’s ire with his latest analysis of the Zambia side.

Maboe says the Zambia club under Mathews Ndhlovu loves to play route one football and not keeping the ball on the grass.

Last weekend Ndhlovu came out guns blazing aimed at Chiefs co-coach Ben Khalid Youssef, who was critical of the Levy Mwanawasa pitch, and said the coach must not ‘find excuses’.

Chiefs won 1-0 away from home in Ndola in their Caf Confederation Cup first leg match via a Pule Mmodi goal.

Now on form Chiefs midfielder Maboe, who won a Man of the Match, award in midweek when Chiefs beat Marumo Gallants 1-0 in Bloemfontein, has given his analysis of Ndhlovu’s troops.

“They are a very awkward team to play against because they play a lot of long balls,” said Maboe.

“They want to play the second ball. They want to fight. For us, it’s about trying to frustrate them by keeping possession and finding our pocket players.”

“They seemed to open up a bit when they were chasing the game,” he added. “I think the first goal is going to be very important. If we get that early goal, they must come out eventually, and it becomes a completely different game.”

Chiefs face the Zambians in the return leg of the Caf Confederation Cup tie in Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium tomorrow.

That’s where Maboe and his team-mates are expected to finish off the Zambians so they qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament.

The match starts at 3pm.