Kaizer Chiefs News Today: Da Cruz lauds forward, Velebayi reveals goal technique & more

Published on by

Kaizer Chiefs News Today: Da Cruz lauds forward, Velebayi reveals goal technique & more

Latest Kaizer Chiefs news, including praise for Asanele Velebayi after his winner against Siwelele and the winger explains technique behind his goal.

Latest Kaizer Chiefs News

 

Da Cruz lauds Kaizer Chiefs match winner

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz and his players in pre-season.
Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz and his players in pre-season. Image: Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz was full of praise for Asanele Velebayi after his goal secured them a place in the Carling Knockout semi-final.

Chiefs made it to the last four after beating Siwelele FC 2-1 but it was not an easy game as they were frustrated for much of the contest.

Siwelele scored first before Chiefs restored parity from the penalty spot through Mfundo Vilakazi, that coming after Mduduzi Shabalala had missed his spot kick.

Asanele Velebayi and Luke Baartman of Kaizer Chiefs
Asanele Velebayi and Luke Baartman joined Kaizer Chiefs as free agents. Photo: Kaizer Chiefs

It looked like the game would head to extra time until Velebayi struck late to win it and Da Cruz has lauded the young winger following his heroics.

“I’m very happy for Velebayi because he worked a lot at training,” Da Cruz said on SuperSport TV as per KickOff.

“He didn’t get a lot of minutes for the moment but the most important, it’s when he comes in to help the team and to support the team and today, he offered us the qualification.”

Velebayi shares technique behind his goal

Asanele Velebayi, Kaizer Chiefs
Asanele Velebayi, Kaizer Chiefs

Meanwhile, Velebayi has revealed the technique behind his goal and how he was caught in two minds before he pulled the trigger.

The winger made a run into space at the near post before squeezing it in and while he admits his team should have been out of sight before the scored the winner in the 83rd minute, he was not sure which option to take.

“I feel like it was a game of transition, a game of turnovers and one that we should have buried in the first half but I like the mentality and mindset we put on today,” he told SABC.

“The character, we know we should have scored from a lot of chances but it is the character that got us into the game and helped us get the result.

“It was just one of those goals that you have to put yourself out there, run your lungs, one of those that you have to do it for the team.

“I was thinking twice, must I run into the space and leave for Flavio to score but I know it was an opportunity for me to score so I took that chance and scored.”

<!-- Author Start -->Joel Oliver<!-- Author End -->

Joel Oliver

Author

Joel Oliver is a sports journalist covering South Africa, with 16 years in sports media and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication. Focused on football analysis and responsible gambling, his work has appeared on GOAL and Pulse Sports Kenya, and he is a regular football analyst on TV and radio.

You May Also Like