Da Cruz vows to keep working after Kaizer Chiefs’ MTN8 exit

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz says his side are not afraid of their current position and will continue to improve after their 1-0 defeat by Golden Arrows ended their MTN8 campaign at the quarter-final stage.

Chiefs were beaten by Golden Arrows at FNB Stadium on Sunday evening, extending the Naturena-based club’s wait for progress in the competition. Their elimination came despite creating what Da Cruz believes were enough opportunities to win the match and reach the semi-finals.

The 54-year-old coach acknowledged that Chiefs were slow to respond at the start of the game, allowing Golden Arrows to make the stronger opening. However, he was encouraged by the way his team improved as the contest progressed.

“At the beginning of the match, we were late to the action of Golden Arrows but, after step by step, we came back better. If we compare today’s game to the other games, it’s okay to say that today at the beginning of the game the team was far compared to what we are used to do, but we are not afraid of where we are, we will keep working and moving forward, ” Da Cruz told reporters.

The result continues a difficult period for Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8, with the club once again unable to advance deep into the tournament. Nevertheless, Da Cruz rejected the idea that the defeat should obscure the attacking effort produced by his players.

He pointed to the team’s statistics as evidence that Chiefs had shown a clear intention to find the net. Although they generated several chances, they could not convert any of them before Golden Arrows secured the victory.

“With the statistics, we shot 20 times on target. So, the team wanted to score. We created a lot of chances, but we didn’t score today. (That’s) football life,” Da Cruz concluded.

The loss means Chiefs must now turn their attention to their league campaign. They return to action in the Betway Premiership on Wednesday evening, when they face Sekhukhune United.

That match will see Kaizer Chiefs come up against a familiar figure, with Sekhukhune United coached by former Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze. The fixture offers Da Cruz and his players an immediate opportunity to respond to the MTN8 disappointment as they continue their work under the French coach.

Despite the early cup exit, Da Cruz insists the club will not be distracted by its current situation and plans to move forward through continued work.