Bullish Kaizer Chiefs’ Da Cruz welcomes Sundowns in CKO: We need this type of game’

Kaizer Chiefs were paired with Mamelodi Sundowns in the Carling Knockout semi-final while the defending champions Orlando got a date with Stellenbosch.

Masandawana advanced thanks to their 1-0 victory over Golden Arrows, while Amakhosi beat Siwelele 2-1. Gavin Hunt’s Stellenbosch then defeated AmaZulu 2-1 while Bucs claimed a 1-0 triumph over Sekhukhune United.

The Glamour Boys coach is not afraid of facing the Brazilians in the last four of the annual competition.

Bring them on!

“I said before that we knew that we wanted to qualify for the semi-final, and if we qualify, we will play a big game,” Da Cruz responded when asked about the mouth-watering clash.

The #CarlingKnockoutCup semi-final draw is complete ✅ pic.twitter.com/TNbEsL5hbN

— Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) November 8, 2026

“But I said as well, we need this type of game because our team needs to grow up, and with this type of game, our team will go up.

“So it’s a very good game for us, and we will play this game for sure to be qualified for the final.”

Chiefs deserved to advance

“We made a good first half. We conceded the first goal from the corner very quickly,” Da Cruz further commented regarding the quarter-final win.

“But we continued to play our model game. We missed one penalty, but we scored after another penalty. Normally, we deserved to come back from the dressing room at halftime with one or two more goals.

“In the second half, it was good for the first 20 minutes. But when we scored the goals, we started to drop, and we were a little bit afraid to concede one goal. Still, I’m very happy about the performance and that of the team to reach the semi-final. I want to congratulate the players because we deserved the win,” he concluded.