Pressure Mounting On Da Cruz After Another…

Fernando Da Cruz during the CAF Confederation Cup match between Red Arrows and Kaizer Chiefs

Pressure appears to be mounting on Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz following another disappointing result, with the club’s recent struggles now extending to the continental stage.

Amakhosi suffered a 1-0 defeat to Zambian outfit Red Arrows in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round tie at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Saturday, leaving themselves with work to do in the return leg.

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The result added to a frustrating run for Da Cruz, whose side have found victories difficult to come by in the Betway Premiership despite remaining unbeaten in the league.

Chiefs have drawn five of their opening eight league matches, dropping valuable points in games where they would have hoped to collect maximum points.

Their latest stalemate came against Stellenbosch FC last Tuesday, when they were held to a 1-1 draw at FNB Stadium.

While their unbeaten league record offers some encouragement, the lack of consistency in turning draws into wins has become an increasing concern as the campaign progresses.

The defeat in Zambia has further intensified the scrutiny surrounding Da Cruz, particularly with Chiefs having returned to continental competition with ambitions of making a strong impression.

The French tactician acknowledged shortcomings in his team’s performance against Red Arrows, admitting that they lacked aggression in the first half and struggled to create enough opportunities after the break.

With the second leg scheduled for Friday at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, Chiefs now face an important test of their ability to respond under pressure.

They will need to overturn the deficit if they are to keep their hopes of reaching the Confederation Cup group stage alive.

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For Da Cruz, the upcoming encounter represents an opportunity to ease some of the growing concerns around the team’s recent results.

However, with domestic draws piling up and continental progress now in the balance, the pressure to deliver a convincing response is building.

Photo: Chisanga Siame/BackpagePix 

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