Fernando Da Cruz has broken his silence since being appointed as Kaizer Chiefs head coach, outlining his ambitions for the club ahead of the new Betway Premiership campaign.
The 54-year-old returned to Naturena after previously serving on Nasreddine Nabi’s technical team. He has now taken over the reins and is preparing the squad for the 2026/27 Betway Premiership season.
DA CRUZ READY FOR KAIZER CHIEFS CHALLENGE
Kaizer Chiefs will begin their league campaign away to newly-promoted Kruger United at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, 1 August. The club hopes to make a strong start after another busy transfer window.
Speaking to the club’s media for the first time, Da Cruz praised the warm reception he received and expressed confidence in the environment at Naturena.
“I have received a very warm welcome, which I appreciate. I took pleasure in my work, and the people at Naturena, so I am happy to be back at the great Club,” said Da Cruz.
He also praised the club’s facilities and believes they provide the perfect platform for success.
“The Kaizer Chiefs Village at Naturena has all the facilities needed to do a good job. It is in very good condition, the pitch, the gym etc. I have a good feeling about it.”
The French tactician also thanked chairman Dr Kaizer Motaung and sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr for trusting him with one of the biggest jobs in South African football.
“I am grateful to the Chairman, Dr Kaizer Motaung and the Sporting Director, Kaizer Motaung Jr for expressing confidence in me. The Frenchman continued: “I will give my level best to do a good job. I am totally committed to Kaizer Chiefs.
He added: “I know I am working for the biggest Club in the country. One with a lot of fans all over Africa, not just South Africa. I want us to start the season well to give our millions of fans a good feeling. Because they deserve it, and have a good season and challenge for titles.”
SPAIN CAMP IMPRESSES NEW CHIEFS BOSS
Meanwhile, Da Cruz is pleased with the team’s pre-season camp in Spain, where Kaizer Chiefs are preparing through a series of friendly matches.
He believes the challenging fixtures will leave the squad ready for the new campaign.
“The conditions for the camp in Spain are excellent. The weather is very hot and we have three challenging friendly games, which I believe is good preparation for us,” he explained.
The coach also called on supporters to play their part throughout the season.
“I hope all the fans will be behind the team to help us have a good season. We will try our best to win silverware and we need our supporters to help us make that happen.”
WHO IS FERNANDO DA CRUZ?
Da Cruz arrives with an impressive coaching résumé and holds a UEFA Pro Licence. He is known for his tactical discipline, detailed match preparation and preference for the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Before moving into football coaching, he captained the French national futsal team. He later built his coaching career through scouting and youth development at LOSC Lille, before taking up coaching roles in Belgium with Royal Excel Mouscron.
His biggest success came with AS FAR Rabat, where he guided the Moroccan giants to the 2022/23 Botola Pro title after initially serving as the club’s academy technical director.
Following that triumph, he remained in the club’s technical structure and worked alongside Nasreddine Nabi. He later joined Kaizer Chiefs as part of Nabi’s staff in 2024 before leaving to take up a technical leadership role with the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).
