“It Takes Time”: Da Cruz Pinpoints Why Chiefs Fallen Behind Pirates
Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz believes his young squad still has important lessons to learn before they can match the consistency of their Soweto rivals, Orlando Pirates, in the Betway Premiership.
Da Cruz’s Amakhosi suffered their first league defeat of the season against their arch-rivals in the Soweto Derby on Saturday.
Chiefs had enjoyed an unbeaten start to their league campaign, recording three wins and five draws in their opening eight matches before coming up against the Buccaneers. They have now played nine league matches.
However, Da Cruz believes the difference between the two Soweto giants, particularly in terms of consistency, comes down to experience. He pointed out that Pirates have a more experienced squad compared to the young group currently developing at Naturena.
The Chiefs coach also highlighted his team’s demanding schedule as one of the factors that affected their performance, explaining that playing three matches in eight days placed considerable demands on his young players.
“There were several factors. Firstly, this was our third match in eight days, and for a young team like ours, that is very demanding,” he said.
“The difference between Orlando Pirates and us on Saturday is that they have more experienced players, and with that experience comes greater consistency.
“Our young players still have to learn how to maintain that consistency from one match to another, but it takes time. It is a process, and we have to take it step by step.
“At the moment, we have not yet reached that level, but through hard work, we will get there.”
Chiefs’ demanding schedule included back-to-back CAF Confederation Cup encounters against Zambian side Red Arrows. Amakhosi travelled to Zambia for the first leg before returning to South Africa for the second leg, which took place in Durban rather than Johannesburg.
Following their continental commitments, the Glamour Boys faced another demanding assignment against TS Galaxy in the Carling Knockout Cup Round of 16 during the week before turning their attention to Saturday’s Soweto Derby.
Despite the disappointing result, Da Cruz wants his young players to use these challenging encounters as opportunities to develop, improve and understand what is required to compete at a higher level.
The French coach acknowledged that his players are getting several things right on the pitch but stressed that they must also recognise how much work remains before they reach their desired level.
“That’s a good question. We have to use these types of matches as opportunities to grow, improve and reach the next level. The players understand that what they are doing is good, but they also need to recognise that there are still important steps we have to take,” he added.
“We are playing well and doing many things right, but it is not enough. We have to keep working to reach the next level. However, that takes time. We cannot change everything overnight.
“Experience does not come overnight. It comes through training, playing more matches and competing at different levels. Those are the experiences we have to learn from as we continue to develop.
“I believe we still lack maturity and experience, but I am very proud of the players and what they showed on Saturday, particularly in the first half. For me, it was a masterclass in controlling the game.”
