United front at Naturena
Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has officially thanked the club’s Sporting Director, Kaizer Motaung Jnr, for his public show of solidarity following the team's exit from the CAF Confederation Cup. The Soweto giants were eliminated by Zambia’s Red Arrows in a penalty shootout, a result that naturally increased the heat on the technical bench. However, Motaung Jnr released a statement on Saturday that reinforced the club's commitment to Da Cruz and his vision.
“I would like to thank the sporting director [Motaung Jnr] and the board for the statement from the club,” Da Cruz explained in his post-match assessment. “You must know that we are very clear inside the club. Every three weeks or month we have a meeting with the sporting director to speak about the team and the project. The confidence he has given us for our daily work is very important, even if we win, lose or draw,” he told the media.
Internal clarity and daily work
While external pressure often dictates the narrative in South African football, Da Cruz insists that the internal dialogue at Naturena is focused on progression. The coach noted that the leadership sees the effort being put in behind the scenes, which provides the technical team with the security needed to continue their work. He believes that consistent analysis of the team's performance is more valuable than reacting to the emotional swings of the supporters.
“Every time you need to analyse the situation very well. In our meetings we always speak about improving the team. Today (after the Carling Knockout win) I am not a better coach than I was last week, because we were eliminated from CAF. The board is there and the sporting director is there every day to see the commitment of the …. Coach with all the technical staff,” the Frenchman continued.
Dealing with misfortune and injuries
Reflecting on the recent run of form, Da Cruz suggested that results have not always reflected the quality of the performances.
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“When we analyse the situation we can say we were unlucky [before] because with all the draws we made, some we deserved to win. And in terms of injured players we have been unlucky. We had a lot of injured players with contact injuries,” Da Cruz added. With Wandile Duba finding his scoring boots against Galaxy, there is hope that the tide is finally turning.
What comes next for Chiefs?
The attention now shifts to the FNB Stadium for one of the biggest fixtures on the African football calendar. As Amakhosi prepare to lock horns with Orlando Pirates, they face a stern test against an unbeaten Buccaneers side in fine form and firing on all cylinders in front of goal. However, form often counts for little in the Soweto Derby, where anything can happen when these two rivals meet.
Last season’s encounter between the two rivals ended in a 1-1 stalemate, and a similarly tight contest is expected this weekend.