Kaizer Chiefs head coach Ernst Middendorp believes his side's travelling over the past two weeks played in a role the Soweto giants' CAF Confederation Cup exit.
Read: Chiefs' CAF Journey Ended By Zambian Giants
Chiefs failed to advance to group stages after going down 5-2 on aggregate to Zesco United, with the second leg ending in a 2-1 defeat on Saturday night.
Middendorp feels all the travelling and midweek games affected his side against the Zambian giants.
"First of all compliment to Zesco. I think both games (they were good) six points. It was very clear. They deserve to qualify. We were not able to get the freshness in. We had our first game on the 5th of January," Middendorp told SuperSport after the game.
"Now today is the 20th is 15 days and that means it's five games in 15 days. I don't have to explain it and if you want to compete with the champions of other countries (we've to prepare better).
"First game away we had to do a very intensive game against Bidvest (Wits). We won it. We went all out. Now here we are again we have to play another intensive game in Durban against AmaZulu, we won it.
"But I have seen the players in both games first game away and today's game three days later after another intensive game we haven't been able to get the freshness in.
"Any professional will tell you when you have every three days a game in addition to travelling; it's not a fitness but travelling issue.
"You need one or two days off, like the fantastic performance in the AmaZulu game. It was a fantastic performance against Bidvest Wits.
"It's not that the players are not capable but just the result of these intensive games these players have to come up and play."
