“A Lack of Maturity” — Da Cruz Frustrated as Chiefs Held Goalless by Arrows
One shot on target in ninety minutes. A missed penalty. And now, back-to-back draws. Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz didn’t hide his frustration after Amakhosi were held scoreless by Golden Arrows at Mbombela Stadium on Sunday — a result that leaves questions hanging over his attack.
A toothless display up front
For all their possession, Chiefs simply couldn’t find a way through — registering just a single effort on goal across the full match. The moment that summed up the afternoon came in the first half, when Lebohang Maboe saw his penalty saved by Thakasani Mbanjwa. It’s now two stalemates in a row for Amakhosi, following last week’s 1-1 draw with Polokwane City.
Da Cruz points to inexperience
Speaking to SuperSport afterwards, Da Cruz didn’t sugarcoat his assessment — pointing to a lack of maturity in his forward line. He was quick to add that it isn’t a talent issue: his young attackers have real quality, but composure in the final third is still letting them down at key moments.
An enforced change disrupts the shape
Maboe — fresh off a Bafana Bafana call-up for the AFCON qualifiers at 32 — didn’t finish the match, going off just after the hour mark for Tanzanian-born Adolf Bitegeko after picking up an injury. Da Cruz explained the substitution came earlier than planned, and admitted it briefly threw the team’s balance in midfield. A second change followed, aimed squarely at finding a winner, in keeping with the manager’s stated approach of always chasing the win — even when, as Sunday showed, the ball simply won’t go in, including a shot that came back off the post.
Despite the result, Da Cruz struck an optimistic tone, insisting the team remains on the right path and backing his side to start turning performances into goals and results soon.
A debut worth watching
Amid the frustration up front, there was a genuine positive at the other end of the pitch — new signing Renaldo Leaner made his debut in goal, deputising for injured captain Brandon Petersen, and looked composed throughout. On this evidence, he may have done enough to press for a regular starting spot going forward.
Can Chiefs’ attack find its cutting edge before the next fixture, or is a real goal drought setting in?
