Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz explains the team's tactical shift after the draw with Mamelodi Sundowns

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz acknowledged the disappointing exit of the team from the MTN8 tournament but emphasized that the club has a solid foundation for further development throughout the season.

The 'Amakhosi' team suffered a 1-0 defeat against 'Golden Arrows' at the FNB stadium on Sunday. The goal scored late in the second half by Khulekani Shezi allowed 'Abafana Besentse' to advance to the semi-finals.

This result deprived 'Chiefs' of hopes of winning the MTN8 trophy and extended the wait for the cup by twelve years. Nevertheless, Da Cruz believes that the team needs to quickly shift its focus to the remaining competitions.

Discussion of the Defeat

After the match, Da Cruz noted: 'Today is very disappointing because we really wanted to win and advance to the next round, but there are other competitions, and we need to work hard and address our weaknesses.'

The loss to 'Arrows' gave Da Cruz a clearer picture of the areas where his team needs improvement, especially in the initial phases of the game. The French coach particularly criticized the intensity of 'Chiefs' at the start of Sunday's encounter, admitting they did not meet the standards set in previous matches.

He commented: 'At the beginning of the match, we were behind in everything, including duels, but then we got better.' He added: 'But if you compare this game with others, our start was far from the level we showed in other matches.'

Da Cruz's philosophy is based on aggressive pressing, according to which 'Chiefs' should work intensely without the ball, forcing opponents into mistakes high up the pitch. However, against 'Arrows', this pressing in the beginning of the match lacked its usual aggression, allowing the visitors to stabilize before they could score the decisive goal.

Despite this, the 'Chiefs' coach remains confident in the direction of his team's work and does not believe that the defeat should undermine the progress made in the first weeks of his management. Da Cruz stated: 'We are satisfied with our base or foundation, and we want the fans to be proud of this team in the coming weeks. We are not afraid; we will continue to work and look forward.'

Leaving MTN8 behind, 'Chiefs' will focus its attention on the Betway Premiership championship, where Da Cruz hopes his players will quickly respond to the first major challenge of the campaign.

The coach of Lamontville Golden Arrows, Pitso Dladla, aims to continue the success achieved in the Nedbank Cup within the MTN8 tournament. However, before that, he must face the team of Kaizer Chiefs under Fernando Da Cruz.

Kaizer Chiefs and Lamontville Golden Arrows will play in the MTN8 quarter-final on Sunday. Both teams face their first major cup test after the start of the Betway Premiership season, with both coaches beginning their work at the clubs with different starts.

Fernando Da Cruz has shown a promising start at Chiefs, leading the team to success in the Toyota Cup, and then they won 3-1 against the recently promoted league team Kruger United in the first round of the championship. These early results gave an idea of what the French coach wants to build at Naturena, as Chiefs are showing greater intensity and attacking intent, adapting to his playing model.

Nevertheless, Da Cruz has repeatedly warned that it is too early to draw conclusions, and the upcoming playoff represents a significantly tougher test for his team.

Golden Arrows is also entering a new chapter under Pitso Dladla, who took command after Manqoba Mngqithi at the beginning of the season. Although Dladla has already gained his first league experience with Abafana Bes’thende, the match on Sunday will be his first serious cup test against one of the country's biggest clubs.

The Arrows coach hopes that his team can carry over the positive aspects from the first league match into MTN8 and immediately establish themselves as a real contender for a semi-final spot. This creates an intriguing tactical battle between two coaches who are still forming their squads.

Da Cruz has openly stated his desire to make Chiefs less predictable, and the club added several attacking players during the transfer window. The performance of Vandile Duba against Kruger also created an additional headache for the coach regarding squad selection. The 22-year-old came on as a substitute and scored twice after Flovio da Silva was forced off due to injury, while Mfundu Vilakazi remains one of Chiefs' key creative players.

For Dladla, maintaining the compactness of Arrows and frustrating Chiefs could be critical. The longer the visitors stay in the game, the more pressure there may be on the Chiefs team, which is expected to dominate.

However, Chiefs are drawing confidence from the first-round victory and intend to show that their bright start under Da Cruz is just the beginning of something significant. The MTN8 tournament provides both coaches with an opportunity to accelerate the realization of their projects. For Da Cruz, it is a chance to add another impressive result to an already promising start. For Dladla, it is an opportunity to present himself on a larger stage and demonstrate that the new era of Arrows can compete with the country's heavyweights.