Da Cruz urges Kaizer Chiefs to keep believing in Betway Premiership title challenge

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz says his side must remain positive in the Betway Premiership title race, despite falling 12 points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

The Glamour Boys have struggled for consistency this season, with a series of draws costing them valuable points as they try to stay in touch with the teams competing at the top of the table.

Da Cruz admitted the task had become more difficult after their latest setback but said Chiefs’ title hopes were not over, with 21 fixtures still to play.

The French coach also highlighted the club’s injury problems, which he believes have contributed to the team’s uneven performances. He is confident that the return of injured players can give Chiefs greater stability and help them build momentum.

“It’s more difficult today [Saturday] after this game, but the PSL is a long journey, there are 21 fixtures remaining. When we recover our injured players, where we have been unlucky since the beginning of the season, we will have more consistency in our performances, because we made a lot of draws this season,” Da Cruz said.

The Chiefs manager feels a number of those draws could have ended in victories. However, he acknowledged that a lack of experience has prevented his players from converting promising displays into maximum points.

Da Cruz is now looking for the squad’s returning players to help change the team’s fortunes. He also stressed that Chiefs need to put together a run of victories if they are to revive their challenge.

“Normally, many draws, we deserved to win these games but because of our lack of experience, we didn’t win these games. But we will turn it on our side when we recover our squad and for sure, in one moment we must have some positive dynamic with a few wins in a row to continue this journey. We must keep a positive mindset,” he added.

Chiefs’ inconsistent campaign has left them with little margin for further dropped points. With Pirates setting the pace at the summit, Da Cruz knows his side must improve quickly if they are to reduce the gap during the remainder of the season.

Despite the distance between Chiefs and the leaders, the coach is refusing to concede the title race while a significant part of the Betway Premiership campaign remains.