Da Cruz says Sundowns provide Chiefs’ biggest test of the season

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz believes Mamelodi Sundowns are the best team in Africa, but says his side must rise to the challenge when the continental champions visit FNB Stadium on Saturday.

The Betway Premiership fixture comes at an inconvenient time for Chiefs, who will be playing their third match in six days. Their meeting with Sundowns follows a 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United, leaving Amakhosi with one fewer day to recover than teams completing a similar run of three matches in seven days.

Da Cruz admitted he would have preferred the fixture to arrive later in the season, although he insisted the difficult schedule would not be used to excuse a poor performance.

“It’s a bit disappointing [to face Sundowns now], it’s a bit early for a match like this in the season and we’re the only team in the PSL to play three games in six days, the others play three in seven days,” Da Cruz said.

The French coach acknowledged the reduced recovery period but said Chiefs had to focus on preparing for the match rather than dwelling on circumstances they could not alter.

“So, we have one less day of recovery, but it’s not a problem, it’s not an excuse, this game will be played, we know it’s like that and we can’t change anything [about the schedule],” he added.

The scale of the task is underlined by Sundowns’ status as reigning African champions. They won the CAF Champions League in May after beating Morocco’s AS FAR in the final. AS FAR were previously coached by Da Cruz, adding an extra connection to the fixture for the Chiefs manager.

Rather than viewing the encounter only as a contest for three Betway Premiership points, Da Cruz sees it as an important examination of his developing team.

“Sundowns is the best team in Africa, because they won the Champions League last season,” he said.

“But we will try to raise our level, to Champions League level on Saturday – this game will give us very good information on what this team is capable of,” the Chiefs coach said.

Chiefs have made an encouraging start to their league campaign. They opened with a victory over Kruger United before beating Sekhukhune, also known as Babina Noko, during a congested period in which the club confirmed three fixtures in one week.

Sundowns, meanwhile, have continued to show their strength both domestically and in continental competition. They defeated Polokwane City in the MTN8 quarter-finals before recording a 3-2 league win over TS Galaxy on Tuesday.

Saturday’s match therefore gives Chiefs the chance to discover whether their positive opening results can be matched by a performance against one of the leading sides in African club football.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 15:00 at the Calabash, with the stadium expected to be sold out.