The Clever Boys start their campaign with a trip to Seychelles to face Lightstars FC this weekend.
Wits have in the past been accused of not taking the competition seriously, especially after seeing a 3-0 first leg advantage against Royal Leopards overturned last year.
But Arendse feels they are better prepared for the challenges of the Confederation Cup this year.
“This is one tournament we want to go far in and it is an opportunity for young players to have a good run in gaining that African experience," he tells snl24.com/kickoff.
“You can see now that they are young players, not fringe players, and we want to keep them with that momentum so that they can gain that experience of playing in Africa.
“Other coaches and people out there must start taking a chance on youth, bringing them in and letting them do it."