Kaizer Chiefs boss Da Cruz proud after Sundowns hold Amakhosi to draw

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz said he was proud of his side’s performance after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

The Amakhosi went into the match at the top of the table after a perfect start to the season and looked on course for another victory when Langelihle Phili gave them the lead in the second half.

Mamelodi Sundowns, the African champions, responded strongly, with substitute Cassius Mailula scoring to rescue a point. Chiefs were nevertheless encouraged by the way they restricted their opponents to a limited number of clear scoring opportunities.

“We opened them because it was 1-0 for us, we concede one goal on set-pieces, but we need to say that it’s a good team they had a lot of the ball, but we did not concede a lot of chances. So, we were strong today we can be proud of the team,” Da Cruz told SuperSport TV.

The Chiefs manager was pleased with the overall display but acknowledged that his team had been weakened by the absence of several important players.

He also felt they could have made better use of possession early in the second half, particularly after taking the lead, and expressed disappointment that they were unable to sustain pressure on Sundowns for longer periods.

Phili, who joined Chiefs from Stellenbosch FC just days before the start of the campaign, produced an impressive all-round performance and scored his first goal for the club. He was later substituted.

Da Cruz, however, said the player still needed time to become fully familiar with the team’s approach and tactical structure.

“We missed too much players today to play better, even it’s a good game. But I would have liked them to keep more of the ball in the beginning of the second half to put more enthuse on this team but I’m happy about the performance,” Da Cruz said.

The coach praised Phili for making an immediate impact, while emphasising that the midfielder’s adaptation to the team’s game model remained a work in progress.

“We thank Phili to make this type of performance, he is very good player. But he needs time again to understand our game model, but I’m very proud of the team because three games in six weeks with the same players amazing today. I’m very proud of the squad,” added the mentor.

The result ensured Chiefs remained at the top of the table, while Sundowns avoided defeat through Mailula’s late intervention. For Da Cruz, the performance was particularly significant given the demands placed on the same group of players across three matches in six weeks.