Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz frustrated after costly Richards Bay draw

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz says his side should have had 12 points rather than eight after two defensive errors contributed to a 2-2 draw with Richards Bay at Princess Magogo Stadium on Wednesday night.

The result left Chiefs disappointed after they surrendered the lead twice, with both of Richards Bay’s goals coming from mistakes that Da Cruz believes should have been avoided.

Amakhosi goalkeeper and captain Brandon Petersen was punished early in the first half when he failed to clear the ball. Richards Bay striker Nqaba Xulu blocked Petersen’s attempted clearance, diverting it towards goal to give the hosts the advantage.

Xulu added a second six minutes before half-time, heading? No, the forward completed his brace after Chiefs failed to deal with a corner. The two goals followed separate lapses from the visitors’ defence.

Chiefs got back into the match through Lebohang Maboe, who converted from the penalty spot, before Siphesihle Ndlovu scored to make it 2-2.

The latest mistake was Petersen’s third major error in as many matches. He had also been at fault during Chiefs’ 1-0 defeat by Golden Arrows in the MTN8 quarter-finals at FNB Stadium earlier this month. Two weeks ago, he made another costly mistake in the 1-1 league draw with Mamelodi Sundowns at the same stadium.

Da Cruz was unhappy that Chiefs had failed to take all three points, particularly after dominating the attacking play for much of the match.

“Very disappointing because our team attacked during the 90 minutes and the other team [Bay] defended the whole 90 minutes. We made two big mistakes and today it’s one point, but normally it should be three,” Da Cruz said.

The Chiefs coach also pointed to the dropped points against Mamelodi Sundowns, arguing that errors in both games had prevented his team from building a stronger total.

“Today we have eight points but normally we should have 12 points because against Mamelodi Sundowns we also made mistakes. Today we need to learn from our mistakes and continue to work hard.”

Despite his frustration, Da Cruz said he was encouraged by Chiefs’ overall performance on a rainy night in KwaMashu. He praised the way his team played but warned that similar lapses could prove costly in the top flight.

“It’s very disappointing but we are also happy with the performance because the team played well, but we cannot make these types of mistakes at this level,” the Chiefs coach said.

The draw means Chiefs were unable to turn a positive attacking display into victory, while Richards Bay secured a point after twice capitalising on defensive uncertainty. Da Cruz now wants his players to learn from the repeated errors and maintain their hard work as the season continues.

The report was published by Sowetan.