Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz fumes at costly errors after frustrating draw against Polokwane City - 'We make big mistakes'

The atmosphere surrounding Kaizer Chiefs remains one of transition and high expectations, but those expectations were met with a bitter pill to swallow at Polokwane.

After Lebohang Maboe had fired the visitors into a deserved first-half lead, the stage seemed set for a routine victory.

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the stalemate, a visibly frustrated Fernando Da Cruz did not hold back in his assessment of the performance.

The coach highlighted the team's inability to kill off the game when they had the upper hand, suggesting that their failure to extend the lead invited unnecessary pressure.

The Chiefs boss was particularly concerned by what he perceives as a growing pattern of avoidable errors handing lifelines to their Betway Premiership rivals.

Da Cruz noted that while opponents are not necessarily outplaying his side through intricate attacking moves, his own players are essentially doing the hard work for them.

This defensive fragility has become a focal point for the coaching staff as they look to maintain their status near the top of the domestic table during the early stages of the season.

“We create chances, we didn’t make the break [score], and when you don’t make the break, you give the opportunity to the opponent to come back,” Da Cruz said, as per iDiski Times.

“Since a few weeks when we make mistakes, we concede a goal, so we need to work.

“It’s very easy to analyse: before we didn’t make mistakes; we didn’t give chance to the opponent to score.

"But now, since Richards Bay, then Siwelele, and today Polokwane City, the opponent doesn’t create chances, but we make big mistakes, and we let the opponents the chance to score goals.”

While the defensive errors have grabbed the headlines, the lack of ruthlessness in the opposition penalty area is also a major point of contention for the technical team.

Da Cruz believes the squad must become more clinical if they are to avoid these nervy finishes in the future.

The coach expanded on this tactical deficiency, stressing that the team must improve at both ends of the grass to find consistency.

“We must not doubt, because we made good things, but we are not killers enough in the two boxes – our box and the opponent's also,” he added.

“But we also make good things, so we need to continue to believe in ourselves because we are on a good way.”

Despite the dropped points, there is a silver lining for the Glamour Boys as they remain unbeaten in the league this season. However, the draw saw them slip to fourth place in the standings, overtaken by AmaZulu following their victory over Marumo Gallants.

Ultimately, the message from the Chiefs camp is one of perseverance and minor adjustments rather than a total overhaul.

Da Cruz remains confident that the philosophy being implemented at Naturena is the correct one, provided the players can cut out the individual errors that have plagued their recent outings.