‘Even The Greatest Miss’: Da Cruz Defends Shabalala After First Career Spot-Kick Flop

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz has thrown his support behind Mduduzi Shabalala after the midfielder missed a crucial penalty during their Carling Knockout Cup quarter-final clash against Siwelele on Sunday.

Amakhosi secured a 2-1 victory over Siwelele at the Peter Mokaba Stadium to book their place in the semi-finals. However, Shabalala will have been disappointed after missing an opportunity to draw his side level from the penalty spot.

The miss was reportedly the first of Shabalala’s professional career, having not previously recorded an official penalty miss at senior level. The 22-year-old had a golden opportunity to get Chiefs back into the contest but was unable to convert from the spot.

However, Shabalala responded positively by winning another penalty for Amakhosi just before half-time. This time, Wandile Duba stepped up and made no mistake, converting the spot-kick to bring Chiefs back into the game.

Despite the missed opportunity, Da Cruz was quick to defend the young midfielder, insisting that missing penalties is part of football and encouraging him to put the disappointment behind him.

“Unfortunately, penalties are something that happens even to the greatest players,” he said.

“There have been great players who have missed penalties in major competitions and even in big finals. On Sunday, it happened to Shabba.

“He may be disappointed, but the most important thing is for him to keep going, lift his head and continue playing his game because he is an important player whom we need and want to rely on.”

Da Cruz explains Chiefs’ penalty-taking arrangements

The French coach was also asked whether he would have preferred Shabalala to take the second penalty after missing the first, but explained that the responsibility ultimately rests with the players on the pitch.

“Yes, yes (I would have loved to see him taking it again). However, the responsibility lies with the players. When they are on the pitch, they decide who takes the penalty,” he added.

“We have several designated penalty takers in case we get more than one penalty, but ultimately, it also depends on the players’ feelings and decisions during the match.

“Whether he had taken the second penalty and scored or missed it is not the most important thing. What matters most is that the players take responsibility.

“We haven’t had much success with penalties since the beginning of the season, but we must not be afraid to take them. We have to take responsibility. If we score, even better. If we don’t, the most important thing is that we have taken responsibility.”

Meanwhile, Amakhosi will enjoy a two-week break during the FIFA international window before returning to competitive action on 28 November, when they travel to face Chippa United at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Shabalala will be hoping to put Sunday’s disappointment behind him and make a positive return when Chiefs resume their campaign, having received the backing of his coach following his penalty miss.