Breaking: Kaizer Chiefs announce new coach

Kaizer Chiefs have finally ended speculation over their next coach following the appointment of Frenchman Fernando da Cruz.

Chiefs confirmed the appointment of Da Cruz on Wednesday evening, letting out of the recently worst kept secrets.

Da Cruz had been reported to have agreed a deal to take over at Naturena early this month and this has turned out to be true, following the confirmation by the Glamour Boys.

“Kaizer Chiefs are pleased to confirm the appointment of Fernando da Cruz as Head Coach. He has signed a two-year contract with a one-year option, effective 1 July 2026,” Chiefs announced.

“Born in France, Da Cruz comes highly qualified with a UEFA Pro Licence, the highest coaching certification in football.

Why Kaizer Chiefs settled on Da Cruz

“He worked briefly with Chiefs during pre-season two years ago before joining the Moroccan Football Federation, where he served as Technical Director until the end of June. He will officially take charge of Amakhosi at the beginning of July,” the club further stated.

Chiefs appoint Fernando da Cruz as head coach

Kaizer Chiefs are pleased to confirm the appointment of Fernando da Cruz as Head Coach. He has signed a two-year contract with a one-year option, effective 1 July 2026.

Born in France, Da Cruz comes highly qualified with a UEFA Pro… pic.twitter.com/NKnLfha7oH

— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) June 17, 2026

According to recent reports, Chiefs identified two key attributes that made Da Cruz their top candidate for the job to replace co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, who left the club after guiding them to third place, their best finish in the PSL in six years.

They narrowed their search to the former AS FAR Rabat coach, who was briefly part of Nasreddine Nabi’s technical team at Chiefs in July 2024 before leaving for a role with the Moroccan Football Association just a few weeks later.

While Da Cruz may be an unfamiliar name to many South African football fans, and his resume has drawn some skepticism, the club’s hierarchy is said to be impressed. His coaching history includes a league-winning 2022-23 season with AS FAR, a stint as head coach at Belgian side Mouscron, and managing the Lille B team in France.

According to sports journalist Peter Du Toit of Soccer Beat, Chiefs were won over by the 53-year-old’s proven success in Morocco and his strong tactical knowledge.

Can Frenchman Restore long lost glamour?

“What Chiefs have seen in this guy, he is not a salesman coach, he is a proper football coach,” Du Toit stated.

Explaining the club’s rationale, Du Toit highlighted the significance of Da Cruz’s achievements. “His biggest thing is he won the league with Rabat,” he said. “I think the Moroccan league and South African league is pretty similar. Three big clubs [there] with a lot of pressure, so winning the league there is quite close to winning the league in South Africa.”

“So, he got that on his CV. He can win a title,” Du Toit added. “Those are the two big things. He won a title recently, so he knows how to win and is a proper coach.”

The Frenchman will begin work just in time for Chiefs’ trip to Germany for their pre-season preparations in July and he has the tough job of building on the third place of last season and restoring the Glamour Boys to their former glories.

Da Cruz will be joined by 35-year-old Egyptian Mahmoud Abbas, who will serve as his assistant, while French-born Julien Le Heran will be in charge of the sports science portfolio. It is believed local coaches will also join his technical bench.