Kaizer Chiefs torn for making a grave mistake: ‘I’m disappointed, it didn’t start last night!’

Kaizer Chiefs have been slammed for appointing Fernando Da Cruz as the head coach and expecting different results.

Da Cruz was initially part of Nasreddine Nabi’s technical team that was set to take over at the Naturena Village at the beginning of the 2024/25 season. However, he took another offer with Nabi coaching Amakhosi for one campaigning before leaving just six games into the last campaign.

Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef took the reigns on an interim basisi, helping th e club to finish in the top three for the first time in six years.

Da Cruz was named as the duo’s replacement but has struggled to deliver in the early stages of the campaign. Ex-Amakhosi winger Junior Khanye has explained why the the tactician wasn’t the ideal man to coach the Soweto giants.

Nothing has changed

“Fernando Da Cruz was part of Nasreddine Nabi’s first technical team when he arrived at Kaizer Chiefs, even though he didn’t stay for long back then. They were all there along with Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef. The club got rid of the head coach, Nabi, and Kaze and Ben Youssef were put in charge,” Khanye told Soccer Laduma.

“On the field of play, nothing much changed for the standard of Chiefs after those changes. Then, for this season, the club decided to bring back Da Cruz, and this time as the head coach. All I am trying to say here is that all these coaches believe in the same kind of way of doing things, hence they were working together in the first place.

“Look at Pitso Mosimane, and wherever he goes, he has almost the same people working with him, and they all believe in the same way of doing things. That’s how things work these days in football. Rulani, wherever he goes, (Sinethemba) Badela will most likely be there,” he added.

Pitso was available

“Pitso was available when Chiefs made the changes and they should have gone for him, and I won’t agree with anyone telling me that the club wasn’t going to afford him. Look at what he has since done with the national team, winning all the matches during the recent FIFA break,” Khanye continued.

“I am very disappointed in Da Cruz, and I mean, how do you start a match defending against Polokwane City? It didn’t start in last night’s match against Stellenbosch, but this way of line-up selection and playing has been ongoing, and it’s disappointing.

“I honestly don’t believe that he is the right coach for a big club with such rich history as Kaizer Chiefs,” the former Amakhosi winger concluded..