Da Cruz says Kaizer Chiefs need time to close gap to Sundowns

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz says his side’s cautious tactical plan in their 1-1 draw with Mamelodi Sundowns was shaped by injuries and the limited time available to prepare, while acknowledging that Amakhosi are not yet ready to compete with the reigning African champions on equal terms.

Chiefs used a compact structure at FNB Stadium on Saturday, focusing on protecting the areas in front of their defence and limiting the space behind their back line. The approach was designed to reduce the danger posed by Sundowns’ attacking players, particularly when they were able to receive the ball between the lines or run into open areas.

Da Cruz said the formation was not intended to make Chiefs a purely defensive team. His players were also instructed to exploit opportunities to attack when they became available.

“First of all, we set up the structure because we have injured players, so in two days [of preparation] we needed to find a solution,” he said.

The French coach felt Sundowns’ quality meant Chiefs had to be disciplined with their positioning. Allowing the visitors too much room, he said, could have left his team vulnerable.

“So as I said before, if you give too much space to Sundowns, they can kill us, so we needed to control the spaces in front of us, but also behind us – but in this system we prepared our team to be able to attack.”

The plan helped Chiefs remain in the contest, although they had less possession for long periods and struggled to control the match with the ball. Da Cruz admitted his team’s performance in possession was below the level he wanted before half-time, but he saw progress after the interval.

“We weren’t very good in possession in the first half but improved in the second half,” he added.

The result also raised questions about whether Chiefs are close to being able to challenge Sundowns consistently. Da Cruz played down any suggestion that the two teams are currently at the same stage, pointing to the difference in continuity between their squads and coaching structures.

“And the last thing, if we wanna compare Sundowns and Chiefs, for the moment we cannot compare,” he explained.

“One side you have Sundowns, with players who have played together for six or seven years. And for us [as technical team], we arrived a month ago.”

Da Cruz said Chiefs must be given time to develop under his management rather than being judged against a Sundowns side with several years of shared experience. He believes a gradual process is required as his ideas are introduced and the squad continues to adapt.

“So give us time and we will improve step by step,” he said.

Chiefs have made a positive opening to the 2026/27 Betway Premiership campaign, but Da Cruz warned that the early results should not hide the amount of work still to come. In particular, he identified the team’s attacking play as an area requiring further attention.

“We made a good start in the PSL, but we need to stay calm and quiet, because we need to work again a lot in our offensive part.”