Da Cruz says Kaizer Chiefs ‘competitive’ in Spain as pre-season tour builds momentum

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz says he is encouraged by his side’s competitiveness and progress during their pre-season training camp in Spain, despite failing to win any of their three friendly matches.

The Soweto club have returned to South Africa after a week in Europe, where they continued preparations for the 2026-27 Betway Premiership campaign with fixtures against Rangers, Al Kholood and Elche CF.

Chiefs opened the tour with a 1-1 draw against Scottish club Rangers, before being held to another 1-1 stalemate by Saudi Pro League side Al Kholood. They rounded off the trip with a narrow 2-1 defeat to La Liga outfit Elche CF.

No victories, but positives for Da Cruz –

While Amakhosi ended the camp without a win, Da Cruz insists the performances against what he described as “high-level teams” under demanding conditions provided exactly the kind of test he wanted at this stage of pre-season.

“The conditions at the training camp were very good despite the extreme heat, which affected us in playing three games in the short space of six days,” said Da Cruz, as per the Chiefs website.

“Nevertheless, we were competitive in these matches against high-level teams, which gave us valuable insights to learn from.

“The attitude and team spirit were excellent, and we have made good progress in our preparations.”

The French coach used the tour to gauge his squad’s readiness ahead of the new domestic season, with the Spanish trip offering opportunities to fine-tune tactical plans and assess fitness levels against international opposition.

Testing schedule in Spain –

Chiefs’ schedule in Spain required the squad to negotiate three games in six days, something Da Cruz acknowledged was made more difficult by the intense heat. The coach, however, framed that challenge as part of a deliberate strategy to expose his players to physically and mentally demanding conditions before competitive fixtures begin.

The draw with Rangers handed Chiefs an early measure of how they compare with European opposition preparing for their own season, while the meeting with Al Kholood provided a contrasting style from the Saudi Pro League. The tour concluded with a tight loss to Elche CF, giving Amakhosi a first-hand look at La Liga-level tempo and technique.

Building towards the 2026-27 campaign –

The Spain camp formed a central part of Chiefs’ build-up as they look to be ready for the start of the 2026-27 Betway Premiership season. Da Cruz’s emphasis on attitude and cohesion suggests he was as focused on developing unity within the squad as on results during the friendlies.

With the team now back in South Africa, Chiefs will continue their preparations on home soil, drawing on what Da Cruz described as “valuable insights” from their European tour as they sharpen up for the domestic campaign ahead.