Ucasuke uyaqhuma uDa Cruz ngamaphutha eChiefs

Umqeqeshi weKaizer Chiefs uFernando da Cruz ugcizelela ukuthi Amakhosi kufanele ahlale kahle phezulu kwetafula leBetway Premiership ngamaphuzu aphezulu angu-12 ngemuva kwemidlalo emine. Esikhundleni salokho, amaphutha omuntu ngamunye abizayo alimaze kakhulu amandla awo.

Ukuzivikela okubuthakathaka kwaMakhosi kwadalulwa ngoLwesithathu ebusuku njengoba bebanjwe yiRichards Bay ngo 2-2 ePrincess Magogo Stadium KwaMashu. Inkinga yaqala ngomzuzu wesishiyagalombili lapho unozinti weChiefs nokaputeni uBrandon Petersen behluleka ukugxila. Ukuphuma kwakhe kwajeziswa yiRichards Bay ngomgadli uNqaba Xulu, owagoba langena ngqo enethini.

Nakuba uLebohang Maboe ebuyisele ukulingana endaweni ngephenathi ngemva kwemizuzu engu-11, uXulu waphinde wajezisa iChiefs ngaphambi kwesikhathi sekhefu ngokuvuka engakaphawulwa ukuze abuyele ekhaya ngekhanda ngemuva kokukhahlelwa kwekona. USiphesihle Ndlovu ekugcineni wasindisa iphuzu leChiefs ngegoli lokulinganisa ekupheleni kwesigamu sesibili.

Amaphutha enzeke eThekwini afane nokulingana kweChiefs kwakamuva ngo 1-1 neMamelodi Sundowns. Kulowo mdlalo, uLangelihle Phili wabeka iChiefs phambili, kodwa ukuzivikela kwehluleka ukubhekana nebhola elide likaGrant Kekana, okwavumela uCassius Mailula ukuthi angene ngekhanda futhi ashaye igoli lokulinganisa. UPetersen naye wayenephutha ekuhlulweni kwabo kwe-quarterfinal ye-MTN8 yiGolden Arrows, ephuma emgqeni wakhe washiya inethi elingagadiwe kuKhulekani Shezi owayegadile ithuba.

UDa Cruz, owathatha izintambo ngesikhathi se-off-season, uzwakalise ukukhungatheka ngokuhluleka okuphindaphindiwe:

“Namuhla sinamaphuzu ayisishiyagalombili, kodwa ngokuvamile bekufanele sibe namaphuzu ayi-12 ngoba sidlala neMamelodi Sundowns nathi senze amaphutha,” kusho uDa Cruz. “Ngakho-ke namuhla sidinga ukufunda emaphutheni ethu, siqhubeke nokusebenza kanzima, futhi sibheke phambili.

“Nginemizwa emibili ehlukene—ngiyajabula ngokusebenza kweqembu ngoba lidlale kahle, kodwa asikwazi ukwenza lolu hlobo lwamaphutha kuleli zinga.”

Naphezu kwamaphuzu ancishisiwe, iChiefs isahlali endaweni yesithathu ku-log yeBetway Premiership ngamaphuzu ayisishiyagalombili emidlalweni emine.