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Mihlali Baleka|Published
Kaizer Chiefs have reacted to the scuffle between defender Reeve Frosler and goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner following their 1-0 loss to Red Arrows in Zambia, with captain Inacio Miguel expressing satisfaction with the incident, while coach Fernando Da Cruz brushed it off as a spur-of-the-moment reaction.
The incident – which required several players and Da Cruz to separate Leaner and Frosler – hinted to some observers that deeper instability exists within the dressing room between the players and the technical staff.
The timing of the scuffle and subsequent speculation comes as Chiefs extended their winless run to four matches across all competitions following their defeat to Arrows in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup group stage playoff qualifier in Ndola.
Speaking ahead of the must-win return leg at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday night, Miguel insisted that such heated moments demonstrate the squad's passion rather than a lack of unity.
“Personally, I am happy with this kind of behavior; we felt the loss – not just the supporters,” Miguel said. “We also suffer and get frustrated with the result. Unfortunately, it happened on the pitch, but it wasn’t bad for the team – just an exchange of ideas.
“From the footage, people might think it’s a mess inside the dressing room, but it was just a passionate debate that looked like a bigger problem than it was. There wasn't one.
“For me, I see a solution in that. Sometimes passion has been lacking in past seasons, so we need more of that aggression and desire. Losing a game, especially like this, is unacceptable. I was happy with the incident because the gents were frustrated and disappointed, and we have a chance to turn it around tomorrow.”
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Da Cruz, who was among those who intervened to separate the pair, echoed his captain's sentiments, emphasising that such moments are a natural part of football.
“There was no major issue,” Da Cruz said. “We didn’t need to resolve anything. We play an emotional sport, and after a match, emotions run high. It was simply a moment between two players sharing their thoughts. We didn’t need to intervene further because there was no real problem.”
The permutations are simple for Kaizer Chiefs: they must win the match by two or more clear goals to advance directly, or win via a penalty shootout if they secure a 1–0 victory. Any other result will see them miss out on the group stage.