Da Cruz calls for patience as Chiefs seek consistency after Soweto derby loss

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz says time and sustained hard work are required to improve the club’s fortunes after their 2-1 defeat by Orlando Pirates in Saturday’s Soweto derby.

The result extended Chiefs’ inconsistent domestic run, with Amakhosi again unable to follow one victory with another. They had gone into the derby after a convincing 3-0 win against TS Galaxy in the Carling Knockout Cup round of 16 on Tuesday.

Da Cruz again pointed to several issues affecting his side, including a lack of efficiency, limited experience within the squad and what he considered poor officiating. Those concerns have led to questions about whether the coach has the solutions required to end Chiefs’ current slump, but he remained optimistic about the team’s prospects.

“We must use these types of games to grow and reach the next step,” Da Cruz said. “Players must understand that while we are playing well, we aren’t doing everything right. We need to shift into second gear and improve now.”

The French coach stressed that progress would not be immediate and said the players’ development would have to come through regular training and competitive matches.

“We must continue to work, but it takes time. We can’t change things overnight, nor can we gain experience from one day to the next,” he said. “It begins in training and builds over many matches, but we have to keep learning across competitions of varying intensity.”

Da Cruz nevertheless drew encouragement from Chiefs’ first-half performance against their rivals. He felt that consistently reproducing that level would allow the side to reach its potential.

“Yes, we lack experience, but I am very proud of the players’ performance today,” Da Cruz said. “When you analyse the first half, it was a masterclass against a very good opponent. I want to congratulate the players once again. We controlled both the game and the ball.”

The defeat came despite Chiefs’ positive start and leaves the team still searching for sustained momentum in domestic competition. Their inability to put together consecutive wins has remained a feature of their season.

Chiefs now have a week without a match after their scheduled league meeting with AmaZulu on November 4 was postponed because of election day. The break gives Da Cruz additional time on the training ground to work on his approach and address the weaknesses exposed in the derby.

Their next fixture will be a home Carling Knockout quarter-final against Siwelele next weekend. Da Cruz will hope the extra preparation can help his players turn promising performances into more consistent results.