Kaizer Chiefs find an excuse after struggling to ‘develop our model game’ in loss to Arrows

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz has explained his team’s loss to Red Arrows on Saturday.

The Glamour Boys fell 1-0 to the Zambian outfit in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup. The Soweto giants failed to deal with a 76th minute corner, allowing Alassane Diarra to head the ball past Renaldo Leaner in Amakhosi goal.

It means that Chiefs have to better that result to advance to the group stage of the annual competition.

Da Cruz insists his team struggled to make an impact in the first half, but improved in the second one. But the French tactician has explained how the pitch made it hard for the players to display their game before stating his players eventually adapted.

Da Cruz explains the struggles in Ndola

“We played a tough first half with no aggression. We were not there inside the dual. In the second half, it was better. We didn’t create a lot of chances, but we made a better second half,” he said in a presser.

“About the field, it was not a field for our advantage. It was not a very good field for us to develop our model game. But we must adapt, we must play with the conditions and the players adapted very well to the conditions.

“We conceded one goal on set pieces, on corner. But until now, we are focused on the second leg and our game at home because we know that we are able to win this second leg,” he concluded.

The next fixture will be at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.