Da Cruz praises Velebayi after Chiefs comeback win

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz praised Asanele Velebayi’s work ethic after the substitute scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Siwelele FC.

The 23-year-old came off the bench in the 75th minute and struck from a tight angle to complete Kaizer Chiefs’ comeback.

Wandile Duba had brought Amakhosi level by scoring from the penalty spot in first-half injury-time before Velebayi secured the win with his first goal for the club.

Velebayi has had limited opportunities this campaign, but Da Cruz said the forward had earned his decisive contribution through his efforts in training.

“I’m very happy for Velebayi, because he works a lot at training,” Da Cruz told SuperSport TV.

“He didn’t get a lot of minutes for the moment but most important is when you come in to help the team and today he offered us the qualification.”

Da Cruz also explained that Duba was substituted because of the physical demands placed on him after starting the previous two matches.

“He started some cramps, so we needed a fresh player in our frontline. We needed to manage him, he played the last two games almost completely, and we need to manage our squad,” he added.