Kaizer Motaung Jr. says Kaizer Chiefs’ pre-season trip to the Netherlands will stand the team in good stead ahead of the new Betway Premiership season.
Amakhosi face Vitesse Arnhem (08 July), FC Utrecht (11 July), NEC Nijmegen (12 July), PEC Zwolle (15 July) and FC Twente (16 July) during their tour of Holland.
Taking on European opposition will be a massive benefit for Nasreddine Nabi’s charges as they look to build on a ninth-placed finish in last season’s Betway Premiership, said the Sporting Director.
He explained the importance of playing higher-calibre teams on the club’s website: “It’s about cross-cultures and about having a pre-season at a higher level than we are used to, which also has to do with having really competitive training matches.
“Training and playing games in Europe is also about getting players out of their comfort zone. It’s a different environment; it’s about a lot of travelling to the training matches and it’s about preparing the mindset of the players for the upcoming season,” he said.
“We want the players to test themselves against these really strong sides,” continues Motaung Jr. “They will learn from it and will not only become better as individual players, but, maybe even more important, improve as a team.
“That’s why we are so happy that the Chairman, Dr Kaizer Motaung, and the Board supported us to go overseas for pre-season again.”
Chiefs have previously travelled to Turkey and South Korea in recent pre-season tours.