Kaizer Chiefs’ Surpise Tactical Plan Against Mamelodi Sundowns Explained by Fernando da Cruz

• Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz revealed the reasoning behind his side's cautious approach against Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium
• Da Cruz admitted Chiefs cannot yet be compared to Sundowns, citing the gap in squad experience and his own brief tenure at the club
• The French coach called for patience as he works to develop Chiefs' game, flagging the attacking phase as an area needing significant improvement

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has opened up on the tactical thinking that shaped his side's 1-1 draw with Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday, while acknowledging that the two clubs remain at very different stages of development.

Chiefs set up in a structured, defensively aware shape at FNB Stadium, looking to limit the spaces Sundowns could exploit both between the lines and behind the defensive block. Da Cruz was clear, however, that the plan was not merely to absorb pressure.

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**Da Cruz Explains the Reasoning**

The French coach pointed to two factors that informed his decision. First, a number of injuries left him with limited options heading into the fixture. Second, the nature of Sundowns' attacking personnel demanded caution.

"First of all, we set up the structure because we have injured players, so in two days [of preparation] we needed to find a solution," Da Cruz said.

"So as I said before, if you give too much space to Sundowns, they can kill us, so we needed to control the spaces in front of us, but also behind us — but in this system we prepared our team to be able to attack."

Chiefs struggled to build fluently in the opening half, but Da Cruz felt his side grew into the contest. "We weren't very good in possession in the first half but improved in the second half," he added.

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**"Give Us Time"**

When pressed on how close Chiefs are to competing with Sundowns on equal terms, Da Cruz offered a frank assessment rather than empty confidence.

"And the last thing, if we wanna compare Sundowns and Chiefs, for the moment we cannot compare," he said. "One side you have Sundowns, with players who have played together for six or seven years. And for us [as technical team], we arrived a month ago."

The coach, who took charge of Amakhosi only weeks ago, urged supporters and observers to exercise patience as he beds in his methods. "So give us time and we will improve step by step," he said.

Da Cruz acknowledged that Chiefs' promising start to the 2026/27 Betway Premiership campaign should not mask the work still ahead, particularly in attack. "We made a good start in the PSL, but we need to stay calm and quiet, because we need to work again a lot in our offensive part," he concluded.

Source: Briefly News