Kaizer Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr. has reiterated his support for head coach Fernando Da Cruz despite the club’s exit at the hands of Red Arrows in the Confederation Cup.
The Chiefs may have dominated, but they bowed out of the CAF Confederation Cup through the back door, at the second preliminary round. Winners 1-0 in the second leg in Durban thanks to a Bradley Cross header on 66 minutes, they were eliminated on penalties (3-2) by Zambia’s Red Arrows, after a 1-1 aggregate score over the two legs.
A cruel scenario that could have left Fernando Da Cruz’s position wobbling. But sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr. has officially stepped in to reiterate his full support for the 57-year-old French coach, according to The South African. A message of stability as the club goes through a tricky spell.
A nightmare penalty shootout
The Chiefs had nonetheless done what was needed to pull level. Bradley Cross’s header, from a defender, secured a 1-0 win in normal time. But the penalty shootout turned into a ordeal: two attempts struck the crossbar and a third was stopped by Zambian goalkeeper Charles Kalumba, sealing a 3-2 defeat on penalties.
An ending made all the more frustrating by the fact the dominance was real. “Chiefs dominated the game, created a lot of chances, and still lost. We should have won by three of four goals,” Da Cruz told Jacaranda FM. Goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner, injured on the eve of the match, had made way for Bruce Bvuma between the posts.
A worrying slump
This elimination is part of a wider dip in form. In all competitions, the Chiefs have won only one of their last seven matches, according to The South African. In the Betway Premiership, the club are already 9 points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns and 8 behind Orlando Pirates after eight matchdays.
Arriving in July 2026 to succeed the Ben Youssef-Kaze duo, Da Cruz has come in for fierce criticism over his tactical choices, in particular the use of a back five and the absence of a central playmaker.
A busy schedule to bounce back
The next fixtures come thick and fast: a Carling Knockout Cup match against TS Galaxy on Tuesday 27 October at 19:00, then the big Soweto derby against Orlando Pirates in the Betway Premiership on Saturday 31 October at 15:30.