Da Cruz told to drop ‘negative’ Kaizer Chiefs tactic – ‘They must bench one’

Former Kaizer Chiefs captain Jimmy Tau has sharply criticised the defensive tactics employed by coach Fernando da Cruz and his technical team after the club’s come-from-behind draw against Richards Bay FC.

Chiefs were held to a 2-2 stalemate at Princess Magogo Stadium on Wednesday evening. The Soweto giants started the match with three central defenders in an attempt to address their ongoing issues at left-back.

However, Tau believes the formation is ineffective, labeling the approach as “a bit negative.” He called on the coaching staff to make a decisive choice and bench one of the defenders instead of persisting with a combination that isn’t working.

Kaizer Chiefs’ back three criticised

The system’s frailties were laid bare as Richards Bay’s Nqaba Xulu scored a brace. Inacio Miguel, Zitha Kwinika and Thabo Moloisane were the three centre-backs who started the match.

However, a back pass from Moloisane to goalkeeper Brandon Petersen saw the Chiefs captain robbed the ball with Xulu tapping in before he headed in the second later in first half after beating Kwinika for the ball from a corner.

Speaking on SuperSport TV after the game, the former fullback expressed his disapproval.

“I think Chiefs are also playing a bit negatively with those three centre-backs,” Tau stated as quoted by KickOff. “They need to make a decision on who they want to bench between the three. Because that one of three centre-backs… haai.”

Defensive shape yet to yield results

The tactical experiment failed to deliver the desired defensive solidity, and Chiefs have now conceded in three of their first four league matches this season.

This defensive instability has had a direct impact on their league position. The single point gained from the four-goal thriller leaves the team in third place with eight points two behind both Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.

Coach Da Cruz now faces some tough decisions regarding his defensive lineup ahead of their next fixture, a home game against Siwelele FC at Dobsonville Stadium on September 6.