KAIZER Chiefs moved swiftly yesterday to calm a potential storm regarding their participation in another Confederation of African Football competition.
The club released a statement confirming they will take part in the less glamorous Confederation Cup after their early exit from the continent's premier tournament, the Champions League, last weekend.
"We can't withdraw now. There are terms and conditions we have agreed to, and we have to play in this competition," said Chiefs manager Bobby Motaung hours after the draw for the Confederation Cup was conducted in Cairo, Egypt.
They will face Ivory Coast's ASEC Mimosas over two legs this month in a play-off for the group stages. Amakhosi were knocked out of Champions League by AS Vita from DR Congo on aggregate despite winning the return leg at FNB Stadium.
Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter also lashed out at the dubious officiating and a "cheating team", comments that led to suggestions that the club would pull the plug on an extended campaign in the CAF tournament given their fixture congestion.
The pitch invasion could also see the club slapped with a fine by Africa's football governing body.
"We will most likely take the game to Limpopo [the Peter Mokaba Stadium, Chiefs' alternative home ground] because we have a game that weekend that will have to be postponed. We have spoken to the coach and we have decided to honour the fixture against ASEC Mimosas," Motaung explained.
The reality is that the PSL will have to reschedule the domestic log leaders' matches against Free State Stars and University of Pretoria on April 19 (the date set for ASEC's visit) and 26 respectively to allow Chiefs to face their Ivorian counterparts.