Owen Da Gama says Kaizer Chiefs’ defensive problems come down to quality

Kaizer Chiefs’ vulnerability from set pieces reflects a shortage of quality and experience, according to former Orlando Pirates coach Owen Da Gama.

The Amakhosi have adopted an increasingly cautious approach under head coach Fernando Da Cruz, often placing seven or eight defensively minded players on the field to limit opponents. Yet that emphasis on numbers at the back has failed to prevent costly goals.

Chiefs were exposed again in their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary-round first leg against Zambia’s Red Arrows FC on Saturday, 17 October 2026. They defended effectively in open play for long periods, but conceded from a routine corner as Alassane Diarra scored from close range to give the hosts a 1–0 victory.

The goal came after Chiefs failed to deal with both the initial delivery and the second ball. Their inability to manage a basic dead-ball situation undermined an otherwise disciplined defensive strategy and left the Soweto club facing a disappointing defeat.

Da Gama said the problem could not be solved simply by adding more defensive players to the team.

“I think it has to do with quality as well. It always comes down to quality and experience,” he told KickOff.

“You can be as defensively minded as possible, but if the quality is not there, it becomes difficult.”

The latest setback has renewed questions about a system designed to minimise risk but which has continued to concede goals in situations Chiefs should be equipped to defend. It is particularly unusual for a team with such a defensive outlook to remain so vulnerable, including when dealing with straightforward set-piece deliveries.

Chiefs’ conservative structure has frustrated critics and supporters, who have observed the side committing large numbers of players to defensive duties. However, the defeat by Red Arrows showed that a heavily fortified formation does not guarantee defensive security when the essential details of defending corners and second balls are not executed properly.

Da Cruz has previously addressed the team’s form and the need for changes, while also saying the playing surface in Zambia was not to Chiefs’ advantage. But the loss means Amakhosi must now respond to a deficit created by a preventable set-piece goal in the first leg of the tie.