Kaizer Chiefs Fernando Da Cruz 'not good enough' and will not win a trophy for Amakhosi - 'He is a coach who is more concerned about not conceding'

Kaizer Chiefs may have avoided defeat in their opening six Betway Premiership fixtures, but former star Junior Khanye remains completely unconvinced by the direction of the club under Fernando Da Cruz.

The Glamour Boys currently sit fourth in the standings with three wins and three draws, yet the style of play has come under intense scrutiny from the outspoken pundit following the recent 1-1 stalemate against Polokwane City.

Khanye, known for his unfiltered views on the South African game, insisted that his analysis of the Portuguese coach is based purely on footballing merit rather than following the narrative of the masses.

"Look, I am a football person," he said as reported by Soccer Laduma.

"I look at football scenarios with the eye of a football person, and I believe in stating things the way I see them in my analysis, without being influenced by what the majority says. That’s just me, and I can’t change that for anyone,” Khanye said.

The primary point of contention for Khanye is the conservative setup employed by Da Cruz, which he feels stifles the natural attacking DNA associated with the Soweto giants.

He argued that the coach's fear of losing is actively preventing the team from reaching its full potential.

Khanye suggested that the tactical blueprint at Naturena has become overly focused on damage limitation rather than dominance.

"When it comes to Chiefs, I still have question marks about bringing in that coach," he said.

"To me, he is a coach who is more concerned about not conceding, hence his team is always defending. Even if it means putting five defenders in his line-up, he will do it as long as he believes it is the right strategy to get him the result he wants," Khanye continued.

The recent draw at the Peter Mokaba Stadium served as the perfect evidence for Khanye's claims, where an own goal from Brandon Petersen denied Chiefs the full three points.

Despite the result, Khanye believes the performance was lacking the necessary aggression required of an Amakhosi side.

He pointed out that the opposition often looked more likely to seize the initiative while Chiefs remained stuck in a defensive shell.

“Just look at the most recent match against Polokwane City. His team was too defensive, and they were almost caught by surprise because, in my opinion, Polokwane were the more attacking team,” he said.

“For me, the coach is not good enough. I don’t think there is any trophy that he is going to win for Kaizer Chiefs,” he declared.

Ultimately, Khanye does not believe that the current path will lead to the club winning trophies but insists his opinions are based on experience rather than idle speculation.

“I also don’t analyse with the intention of attacking anyone. I state my opinions based on what I see and what I think is going to happen, and on many occasions, most of the things I said have happened.

"When I speak about football, I speak my mind because, at the end of the day, it’s my opinion.

"At the same time, I respect the opinions of others when we discuss football, and I believe that’s how it should be for everyone," he said.