'I want the fans to be proud of the team in the next few weeks,' said Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz.
Fernando Da Cruz’ Kaizer Chiefs take on Sekhukhune on Wednesday evening. Picture: Backpagepix
Kaizer Chiefs will be looking to bounce back quickly from their disappointing MTN8 exit when they host Sekhukhune United this evening in the Betway Premiership at FNB Stadium.
Chiefs face Babina Noko test
Fernando Da Cruz’ side are likely to be in for a tough time, however, against Babina Noko and their head coach Cedric Kaze.
Kaze has got off to a superb start in charge of Sekhukhune, winning his first Premiership match against Durban City and then pulling off an extraordinary 4-3 MTN8 quarterfinal win at AmaZulu.
He should also know Chiefs inside out having coached there for two seasons before being let go at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
With that said, Da Cruz did win his first Premiership game of the season at Durban City, a 3-1 win over another former Chiefs coach in Khalil Ben Youssef.
So maybe inside knowledge won’t necessarily help. Either way, Chiefs will need to respond to Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Arrows. That result was particularly disappointing given that it was Chiefs’ first appearance in the MTN8 in three years.
“It’s very disappointing for the players because they put in a lot of effort. Also, for the fans because a lot of them came to the stadium,” Da Cruz told Chiefs media
“We had a lot of chances to score but we didn’t take them and unfortunately they scored with their only chance from a cross.
“We lacked lucidity (composure) inside the box. Even after they scored we had opportunities but we need to work on being calmer in those situations.”
‘Happy with the mindset’
“I am happy with the mindset of the players,” he added.
“We wanted to go further in this tournament and we are disappointed to be eliminated but we still have other competitions to compete in and we will continue to work hard to improve step by step. I want the fans to be proud of the team in the next few weeks.”
Chiefs have a massive few days ahead of them with an early season cracker against Mamelodi Sundowns coming up on Saturday at FNB Stadium.
Get good results against Sekhukhune and Sundowns and the MTN8 exit will not feel so bad. If Chiefs lose to both, however, the early season pressure on Da Cruz is likely to mount.
