“On The Field, We Won” – Under-Fire da Cruz Remains Defiant
Under-fire Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz made light of his side’s CAF Confederation Cup elimination on Friday night, insisting Amakhosi “won the match” despite crashing out 3-2 on penalties to Zambian champions Red Arrows at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Chiefs won the second leg 1-0 in regulation time through a second-half header from Bradley Cross, levelling the tie 1-1 on aggregate following their first-leg defeat in Ndola.
However, with no extra time played, the match went directly to a penalty shootout where misses from Lebohang Maboe, Reeve Frosler, and Ethan Chislett sealed Amakhosi’s continental exit.
When asked after the match how he intends to fix Chiefs’ current slump, Da Cruz struck a defensive tone.
“Today, we won the game, but we lost on penalty shootouts,” said Da Cruz. “On the field, we won the game.”
The ‘defeat’ extended Chiefs’ winless run to five matches across all competitions. However, the French mentor pointed to a mounting injury list as a primary factor, revealing that goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner suffered a finger injury during Thursday’s final training session.
Leaner’s sudden absence forced Bruce Bvuma into a rare start in goal, while returning club captain Brandon Petersen was named on the bench alongside midfielder Maboe, who made a second-half appearance.
“On Friday, matchday minus one, during the last ball of the training session, Renaldo injured his finger, so he could not play,” Da Cruz explained.
“We have not been lucky with injuries. Right now, we have five players injured. But when you look at the performance of the team, it is very positive.”
With their continental campaign over, Chiefs must quickly refocus on domestic duties. Amakhosi host TS Galaxy in the Carling Knockout Cup Round of 16 at FNB Stadium on Tuesday night before facing fierce rivals Orlando Pirates in the Soweto Derby next weekend.
Failure to secure a victory against TS Galaxy could see management bring an abrupt end to Da Cruz’s tenure at Naturena.
