Chiefs’ Da Cruz bemoans costly mistakes

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz lamented his team's costly mistakes after they drew 1-1 with Polokwane City in the Betway Premiership on Saturday. The match took place at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. Initially, Chiefs took the lead through Lebohang Maboe's well-taken goal, but Polokwane City equalized through Giovanni Philander's corner which got past Chiefs' goalkeeper Brandon Petersen at the near post.

This result sees Chiefs drop to fourth place in the table, only one point behind AmaZulu and Orlando Pirates. They trail league leaders Sundowns by eight points, but have two games in hand on Masandawana. Da Cruz spoke to SuperSport TV following the game, stating that his team needs to stop making errors that leave openings for opponents to score.

He also called for faster implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in the league. Da Cruz pointed out that the team's inability to capitalize on their chances led to the defeat. He highlighted instances where VAR could have helped, like an offside call that could have resulted in a goal against Richards Bay and a penalty awarded against Siwelele. Da Cruz did not criticize the referee but emphasized the importance of VAR to assist officials on the field.

Chiefs were also criticized for not converting the opportunities they had, which would have allowed them to shut down Rise and Shine and prevent an equalizer. Da Cruz stressed the need to capitalize when presented with chances, as failing to do so gives opponents opportunities to come back. The team will next face Golden Arrows in the Betway Premiership on Sunday at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, hoping for a morale-boosting three points to prepare for the international break.