Da Cruz blames missed chances as Kaizer Chiefs exit CAF Confederation Cup

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz said his side’s failure to convert a series of opportunities was the main reason they were eliminated from the CAF Confederation Cup by Red Arrows.

Chiefs won the second leg 1-0, with Bradley Cross scoring the only goal of the match, but the result left the tie level at 1-1 on aggregate and sent it to a penalty shootout.

Lebohang Maboe, Reeve Frosler and Ethan Chislett all missed from the spot as Red Arrows prevailed, ending Kaizer Chiefs’ hopes of progressing in the competition.

Da Cruz said the shootout defeat did not tell the full story, arguing that the outcome had effectively been determined by the team’s wastefulness during the match.

“We dominated all the game, we created a lot of chances,” he told SABC2.

“We lost the game on penalties, but we actually lost it before because we created a lot of chances.

“We only scored one goal, normally we must win this game 3-0 or 4-0.”

The Chiefs manager rejected the suggestion that a lack of confidence had affected his players, insisting they had shown belief and character both in possession and when defending.

“The team played with confidence, the team played with a lot of personality, with the ball, without the ball,” he added.

“What we showed today is not an issue of confidence.”