Kaizer Chiefs Forced Into Tactical Rethink As Injury Crisis Leaves da Cruz With Limited Options
- Fernando Da Cruz is facing a growing selection puzzle as injuries continue to affect his defensive options
- The Kaizer Chiefs coach has already had to look beyond his usual choices to cover the problem
- The latest setback comes during an encouraging start to the Betway Premiership campaign
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Kaizer Chiefs face an ongoing selection headache after injuries have depleted their options at left-back, forcing Fernando Da Cruz to consider alternatives. The French coach was already without several options before further setbacks complicated his plans ahead of Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Da Cruz confirmed the extent of the problem after the match, saying:
“Our left-backs are all injured.”
He explained:
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“Between the match against Sekhukhune United on Wednesday and today [Saturday], we lost Reeve and Kabelo.”
Five left-backs unavailable
Paseko Mako, Nkanyiso Shinga, Bradley Cross, Reeve Frosler and Kabelo Nkgwesa are all currently unavailable, according to the information provided. The situation forced Da Cruz to use winger Pule Mmodi as a wing-back against Sundowns.
Rather than abandoning his approach, Chiefs adapted and secured a point against the reigning champions. Langelihle Phili scored for the Amakhosi.
Da Cruz faces continued selection dilemma
The result extended Chiefs’ unbeaten Betway Premiership run to three matches, giving them seven points from nine.
Their next fixture is against Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal on 26 August. That gives Da Cruz time to assess his squad. However, the left-back shortage may require further tactical adjustments.
For now, the injury crisis has made squad management one of the coach’s biggest challenges in his early Chiefs tenure.
Gayton McKenzie’s latest PSL intervention sparks fresh football debate
Briefly News previously reported that Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie came under fire after calling on the Premier Soccer League (PSL) to act against what he described as “thuggery”. His comments followed a controversial tackle involving Kaizer Chiefs defender Zitha Kwinika and Mamelodi Sundowns forward Tashreeq Matthews.
The comments quickly shifted the conversation beyond the incident itself, with supporters questioning the minister’s consistency. They brought up other serious injuries suffered during the early stages of the season.
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Source: Briefly News
