Kaizer Chiefs must beat Siwelele after costly dropped points, says Da Cruz

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz says his side cannot afford another loss of points when they host Siwelele at Dobsonville Stadium on Sunday, after draws with Mamelodi Sundowns and Richards Bay left them trailing the leading pair.

Chiefs will play their fifth league match of the season at 17:30, knowing victory is essential if they are to stay in touch with Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.

Sundowns and Pirates have occupied first and second place respectively, and Da Cruz believes both clubs have established a level of consistency that will make it difficult for their rivals to dislodge them.

“When we play games, we always want to win. At this stage(four games into the season), normally we would have 12 points, but in the last two gameswe lost four valuable pointsbecause we played (drew)against MamelodiSundownsand Richards Bay.So we lost four points, but we could have won those games,” Da Cruz toldthe media on Wednesday.

The Chiefs coach was speaking during the club’s open day before the meeting with Siwelele. His comments underline the importance of a positive result as Chiefs attempt to remain part of the early title race.

Chiefs normally stage their home matches at FNB Stadium. However, they will temporarily move to Dobsonville Stadium this weekend because FNB Stadium is being used for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test between the world champion Springboks and their old foes, the All Blacks, on Saturday afternoon.

The change of venue has not caused Da Cruz significant concern. Instead, he has urged his players to concentrate on delivering the performance required to secure the result.

Chiefs are accustomed to attracting the largest share of the stadium attendance and are regarded as being at home wherever they play in the country. That support has also given them at least three other home grounds across the country.

Da Cruz plans to give his players the opportunity to familiarise themselves with Dobsonville Stadium before Sunday’s match, but he does not regard the venue itself as a decisive factor.

“We’ll train at the stadium in the afternoon to feel the grass,get a feel for the environmentand feel the size, butit is not a main priority for us. The main priority for us is tofocuson our performance and our mandate,”saidDa Cruz.

The move to Dobsonville means Chiefs will play away from their usual home at FNB Stadium, but their immediate objective remains unchanged: to collect three points against Siwelele and prevent further ground being lost on Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.