Kaizer Chiefs defender Zitha Kwinika says side are heading in right direction under Da Cruz

Kaizer Chiefs defender Zitha Kwinika believes the club are making progress under Da Cruz despite dropping points in their unbeaten start to the 2026/27 Betway Premiership campaign.

The Soweto giants have collected two wins and two draws from their opening four league matches, leaving them on eight points and in third place in the early standings.

Kwinika has played every minute of those four games, forming a new central defensive partnership with Inacio Miguel. His assessment comes before Chiefs’ next league fixture against Siwelele FC at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Sunday, 6 September 2026.

Kick-off is scheduled for 17h30.

Chiefs would move to 11 points with victory, remaining third but reducing the gap to joint leaders Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns to two points. Both leading clubs currently have 13 points.

Speaking to the club’s media about the team’s early-season performances, Kwinika said the players could take encouragement from their results while acknowledging that improvements were still required.

“I think for me it’s a good start. To be honest, we started well. It’s just football things that need to be fixed. And then we continue. Yes, it’s not maybe the most required result because of points we lost or how we lost the points,” Kwinika said.

“But for me, we are in the right track and heading in the right direction.”

The defender’s comments underline Chiefs’ mixed feelings about their opening four matches. They have avoided defeat, but the points dropped have prevented them from keeping pace with the two clubs at the top of the table.

Their immediate challenge will be to maintain that unbeaten run against Siwelele FC, although Da Cruz will have limited options when selecting his squad.

Chiefs will be without several players because of injuries. Right-back Thabiso Monyane and young forward Langelihle Phili have both been ruled out for the long term.

New signing Flavio Silva is also unavailable for the match as he continues his recovery, further reducing the manager’s attacking options.

The fixture will therefore test the depth of the Chiefs squad as they attempt to turn a promising start into a sustained challenge near the top of the Betway Premiership table. A win would not only preserve their unbeaten record but also bring them within touching distance of Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.