Da Cruz Praises Phili After First Amakhosi Goal

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz praised Langelihle Phili after the winger scored his first goal for Amakhosi in Saturday’s Betway Premiership clash against Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium.

Phili made his debut for Amakhosi as a substitute in their disappointing MTN8 elimination against Golden Arrows. Despite the result, Da Cruz handed the former Stellenbosch winger another opportunity when he named him in the starting line-up for the Betway Premiership match against Sekhukhune United.

The Amajita winger delivered a strong performance and was named Man of the Match, giving him further confidence heading into the difficult encounter against Sundowns.

Phili continued his impressive form against the African champions by scoring his first goal for Chiefs. His strike put Amakhosi ahead and provided another positive moment in what has been an encouraging start to his Chiefs career.

However, Phili’s goal was not enough to secure all three points for Chiefs. Cassius Mailula came off the bench in the second half to score the equaliser for Sundowns, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw.

Despite the disappointment of dropping two points, Da Cruz was pleased with Phili’s contribution, with the winger quickly showing that he can make a positive impact for the team.

“We brought him in to help us, and for now, he is helping us, so that is a good thing,” Da Cruz said on SuperSport TV.

“What I want to say is that, playing three matches in six days, the players were fantastic today because there was fatigue, but they showed an incredible mentality.

“I’m happy with Phili, but I’m also happy with the whole team.”

Da Cruz was also candid about his feelings regarding the draw against Sundowns. While he was disappointed that Chiefs could not hold on to their lead, he felt the result was fair, with Sundowns enjoying plenty of possession without creating many clear-cut chances.

“It’s disappointing because, over the course of the match, they had a lot of possession but created few chances,” he added.

“What is disappointing is conceding that goal from a set piece. We also have to admit that there is a good team on the other side, and the draw is deserved.

“We also played with what we had. We had too many players absent today to do better. We had very little time to prepare,” Da Cruz explained.

“In terms of the mentality and what the players showed us, I am very happy with what we showed defensively.

“After that, I would have liked us, like at the beginning of the second half, to have more of the ball and cause them a few more problems.”

The draw means Chiefs remain at the top of the Betway Premiership standings with seven points, level with AmaZulu. Da Cruz’s side will now turn their attention to their next match against Richards Bay on 26 August in Durban, where they will be looking to return to winning ways.

For Phili, the challenge will be to build on his strong start at Chiefs and maintain his form after scoring his first goal for the club against the African champions.