Kaizer Chiefs wish SIX players best of luck as they leave Naturena this week

Kaizer Chiefs have SIX players who have headed off to represent their countries in 2022 Soccer World Cup qualifiers this week as the race to reach Qatar for next year’s tournament heats up.

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Khama Billiat has heeded the call and headed off to join up with the Zimbabwe national team, while Daniel Akpeyi is once again part of the Nigeria set-up.

Four Amakhosi players are in the South Africa squad as they prepare for back-to-back matches against Ethiopia.

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Bruce Bvuma, Njabulo Ngcobo, Njabulo Blom and Sfiso Hlanti will be looking to play a part in Bafana Bafana’s doubleheader against Ethiopia, who they will face away from home on Saturday, 9 October and at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday, 12 October.

Blom and Ngcobo both featured during Bafana’s 1-0 win in Johannesburg in their last qualifier in September against Ghana and played a role in the victory which sees South Africa occupy the top spot in the group with four points having drawn away from home in their first match against Zimbabwe.

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Elsewhere in Group G, Khama Billiat will team up with former Kaizer Chiefs striker Knowledge Musona as they prepare to face Ghana in the Cape Coast on 9 October and in Harare on 12 October.

The Warriors will be looking to get their campaign back on track after picking up one point from their opening two games, after a goalless home draw with Bafana Bafana and a 1-0 away loss to Ethiopia.

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Kaizer Chiefs final player on World Cup qualifying duty is goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi who joins a star-studded Nigeria team including Napoli’s on-form striker Victor Osimhen.

Akpeyi himself will be hoping to get the nod to start ahead of the two other ‘keepers in the squad, Cyprus-based Francis Uzoho of AC Omonia and Maduka Okoye who plays his club football for Sparta Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

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The Super Eagles are top of Group C with two wins from their opening two games against Liberia and Cape Verde.

They will be aiming for the full complement of points when they face the Central African Republi, on October 7 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos and then in Bangui on 10 October for the return fixture at the Stade Barthelemy Boganda.

The 10 group winners from the African qualifying rounds will move onto the next phase of qualifying which will see the teams divided into five two-legged playoff games with the winners of those matches qualifying for next year’s tournament in Qatar.

Bafana Bafana have reached the Soccer World Cup three times previously in 1998, 2002 and on home soil in 2010, while Zimbabwe will be targeting a maiden appearance at the global showpiece.

Nigeria will be looking to reach four World Cups in succession for the first time and will be hoping to qualify for the seventh time overall.

Furthermore, Kaizer Chiefs analyst Mark Davy has once again been invited to join the Bafana Bafana technical team for the qualifiers.

Kaizer Chiefs have wished all their players on international duty the best of luck, as well as national coach Hugo Broos and his Bafana Bafana squad in their clashes with Ethiopia.