Da Cruz backed by Kaizer Chiefs after CAF Confederation Cup exit

Fernando Da Cruz says Kaizer Chiefs’ public support has reaffirmed his position as head coach after the club’s elimination from the CAF Confederation Cup.

The Amakhosi’s continental campaign ended in disappointment, prompting questions over Da Cruz’s future. Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jnr responded by issuing a statement confirming the club’s confidence in the Frenchman and his technical team.

Motaung Jnr acknowledged the frustration caused by the result but said Chiefs needed to preserve stability and remain committed to their long-term sporting project. He added that the club’s decisions would be based on performance analysis and strategic planning, rather than the emotions surrounding one disappointing outcome.

Da Cruz was speaking after Chiefs’ 3-0 victory over TS Galaxy in the Carling Knockout Cup, when he thanked the club’s leadership for its public backing.

“First of all, I’d like to thank the club for the message they sent on social media, whether it was the Sporting Director or the club’s board. I’d like to thank the Sporting Director and the entire board for the statement they made,” Da Cruz said.

Regular discussions with Motaung Jnr

The coach also revealed that he holds regular meetings with Motaung Jnr to review the team’s position and discuss the wider objectives of the club.

“We have a very clear structure within the club, where I regularly meet with the Sporting Director. Every two or three weeks, we have a meeting to discuss the situation of the team and the club’s project,” he explained.

Da Cruz said his work should not be judged solely on the outcome of one competition. He said the technical team was expected to assess performances and find ways to improve, whether Chiefs had won, drawn or lost.

“It’s very important to have the confidence they have given us for the daily work that we do. Whether we win, draw or lose, we always need to analyse the situation properly. In our meetings, we always speak about how to improve the team every day.

“Today, I’m not a better coach than I was last week just because we were eliminated from the CAF,” he said.

The Frenchman also felt Chiefs had not always received the results their performances deserved and pointed to injuries as another difficulty faced by the squad.

“When we analyse the situation, we can say that we were unlucky because, in some of the draws we had, we deserved to win. We have also been unlucky with injuries, because we have a lot of players who have suffered contact injuries,” Da Cruz added.

The public statement has provided reassurance for Da Cruz following the continental exit. Chiefs must now focus on producing more consistent results after their win over TS Galaxy.