Ex-PSL coach Vladislav Heric makes bold declaration, insists struggling 'Ashley Du Preez will win the match for Kaizer Chiefs' in CAF Confederation Cup clash with Al Masry

Kaizer Chiefs forward Ashley Du Preez has endured a difficult start to the season, struggling to find his rhythm in front of goal. 

Despite making seven appearances across all competitions, he is yet to score and has contributed just a single assist.

His struggles reached a low point during Chiefs’ trip to the DR Congo for their CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round, first-leg match against AS Simba. 

In that game, the former Stellenbosch forward missed a golden opportunity with the goal wide open, a moment that drew heavy criticism from fans and analysts alike. 

Now, as Chiefs resume their Confederation Cup campaign with a Group D fixture away at Al Masry on Sunday, all eyes are on Du Preez once again as Chiefs will not have three key forwards available for selection. 

Du Preez has travelled with the team to Egypt and could be handed another chance to start and his presence in the squad could be a sign of the trust the technical team have in him.

Former Chippa United coach Vladislav Heric is convinced that Du Preez has the quality to make a meaningful impact. 

 “Du Preez is a very unpredictable player. I think he is right for cup competitions, he is that type of player,” Heric told KickOff.   

“Some players are good when they come [in] as a sub. So, I believe Du Preez will win the match for Chiefs on Sunday.    

“Yes, he might be missing chances, but he can't miss them forever. That is my belief.  Our biggest problem in South Africa is that if a player misses two or three chances, we put him on the bench.   

"That's why we don't have strikers today. It's a very powerful squad Chiefs are sending out to Egypt," added the former Black Leopards coach.   

“They do have a team to win the Confederation Cup. As always, teams that are not doing so well in domestic football always do well in CAF competitions."

Du Preez's struggles have been linked to personal issues affecting the player.

The Amakhosi star lost his father a few months ago and it was suggested that he might not be in a good space, especially after miss in Lubumbashi.

That has seen calls to support the attacker to return to a state of mind that will allow him to fully focus on his game and rediscover his scoring boots.

Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has trhrown his weight behind Du Preez, giving assurances that the forward has a strong support systqam within the club.

"About Ashley, I won’t say that it is normal, but it happens in football. It is like an accident," Kaze said. 

"An accident happens in football, and he was devastated after the game that he missed that opportunity that could have sealed a win for us at the last minute.

"But as coaches, as a club, with his teammates, we are here to support him. We are here to show him that even in bad moments we are here to support because, you know, it is easy to throw rocks at someone that hasn’t done well.

"But remember, Ashley has helped us a lot in previous games. I remember the last-minute goal against [Mamelodi] Sundowns in the semifinals, last season, of the Nedbank Cup which took us to the final, which took us to the trophy.  

"But the biggest thing is to show him our support, and I’m pretty sure that he is a guy with a very strong mentality. He will bounce back very quickly." 

Kaizer Chiefs travelled to Egypt without injured forwards Glody Lilepo, Wandile Duba and Khanyisa Mayo, a blow to their attacking options. 

Their absence left the Soweto giants relying on Ashley du Preez, Flavio da Silva and Etiosa Ighodaro as the only recognised strikers in the travelling squad. 

Whether Du Preez starts or comes off the bench, he still carries the weight of expectations to inspire Chiefs’ attack.

With limited depth upfront, the pressure is on him and the other two forwards to score goals in the tricky away assignment.