Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz believes his players need to develop a stronger 'killer instinct' after the team failed to secure a victory over Siwelele FC, despite creating numerous chances in the Betway Premier League match.
On Sunday at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto, the Betway Premier League match between Kaizer Chiefs and Siwelele FC took place, which ended with Chiefs winning 3-2. Initially, Chiefs looked confident, leading the first half 1-0, and then doubled their lead shortly after the hour mark.
However, Siwelele FC managed to come back twice, which raised concerns for Da Cruz regarding his team's ability to manage the flow of the game. 'In the first half, we played very well in attack and created many opportunities, but we lacked the killer instinct in the box,' stated Da Cruz.
Mfundu Vilakazi opened the scoring in the 30th minute, and Vandile Duba increased Chiefs' advantage. After this, Siwelele managed to equalize, but a own goal by Samukelo Xulu restored Chiefs' two-goal lead 14 minutes before the end of the half.
Despite the result, Da Cruz was particularly dissatisfied with Chiefs' reaction after Siwelele's first goal. 'We scored the second goal, but immediately after that, Siwelele scored their first. And after that, we became worried, and our defense was not very good,' he shared his opinion.
Da Cruz believes the problem goes beyond tactics, as Chiefs show a lack of character to control the game under pressure. 'But we lack character on the field. In conclusion, we deserved all three points if we analyze the game, but our regret is that our opponent got into our box twice and scored both times, having 100% success rate,' he noted.
The coach also criticized Chiefs' approach at the start of the second half. 'At the beginning of the second half, we played poorly, starting to play long balls, but we needed to continue playing as we did in the first half,' he said.
Ultimately, new player Michael Ngessan scored in stoppage time, leading to a tense finish, and Chiefs managed to hold onto the points. This victory propelled the Amakhosi team to third place in the Betway Premiership table, behind Orlando Pirates and leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
Da Cruz now hopes his players will demonstrate the necessary attitude in the upcoming away match against Polokwane City. 'The first step is to analyze our match and correct the tactical side, but it is not just about that. It also depends on the spirit and mentality of the players on the field,' he concluded.