Da Cruz reveals what went wrong for Kaizer Chiefs in Zambia

Smiso Msomi|Published 53 minutes ago

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz was critical of his side as they went down to Red Arrows in the CAF Confederations Cup in Zambia.

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz has revealed what went wrong for Amakhosi in their 1-0 defeat to Red Arrows in the CAF Confederation Cup in Zambia on Saturday.

Chiefs conceded from a corner in the 76th minute at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, leaving themselves needing to overturn the deficit in the return leg to reach the group stages.

Da Cruz was particularly critical of his team’s first-half performance, admitting they lacked the aggression and intensity required to compete effectively.

“We played a slow first half with no aggression, we were not in the duels and in the second half it was better even though we didn’t create a lot of chances,” he said.

Although Chiefs improved after the break, they struggled to create clear opportunities before Red Arrows capitalised from a set piece to take the lead late in the match.

The result leaves Amakhosi under pressure heading into Friday’s return leg at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, where they must find a way to turn the tie around.

Da Cruz congratulated the Zambian side on their performance but insisted that Chiefs remain capable of securing the victory they need at home.

“We want to congratulate Red Arrows on the game. We conceded a goal via a set piece and now we’re focusing on the second leg at home because we know we are capable of winning the second leg.”

The Chiefs coach also pointed to the playing surface as a challenge for his side, suggesting the conditions made it difficult to implement their preferred style of football.

“The pitch was not a good fit for us, it wasn’t good for the model of our game, the players adapted well to the conditions but it wasn’t the best.”

However, Da Cruz acknowledged that his team must improve rather than rely on the conditions to explain the defeat.

“We are under pressure everyday, it’s not a problem for us but we just have a lack of intensity in our game and we just need to work on it and it will turn on our side.”

The admission places the focus firmly on Chiefs’ response ahead of the return fixture. With only one goal separating the teams, Amakhosi still have an opportunity to progress, but they will need greater aggression, intensity and attacking purpose to avoid an early exit from continental competition.