Newly appointed Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has sent a strong message to Amakhosi supporters ahead of the 2026/27 season, bluntly revealing the club’s silverware ambitions.
Da Cruz has been at Chiefs for the past few weeks, after securing the hot seat on a two-year deal as he aims to bring back the glory days to the Soweto giants.
The French mentor took over the coaching job to replace co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, who were at the helm from September 2025 to the end of the 2025/26 season after the club parted ways with Nasreddine Nabi.
The coaching duo were shown the exit door at the end of the previous season despite helping Chiefs finish in the top three—a major improvement for a club that had finished outside of the top eight in the preceding two seasons.
With the Glamour Boys competing for four domestic trophies and the CAF Confederations Cup next season, they have handed the powers of chasing titles to Cruz, who spent the past two years as technical director for the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
DA CRUZ CALLS ON FANS TO BACK KAIZER CHIEFS IN THE NEW SEASON
Speaking from the club’s pre-season camp in Spain, where Da Cruz is preparing Chiefs for the upcoming campaign, the 54-year-old provided updates on the ongoing European tour while urging the club’s supporters to play their role in backing the team to win trophies.
Chiefs kicked off their pre-season friendly schedule in Spain with a 1-1 draw against Scottish powerhouse Rangers. After Etiosa Ighodaro opened the scoring for Amakhosi, Da Cruz will find plenty of encouraging signs from his side’s performance.
“The conditions for the camp in Spain are excellent. The weather is very hot, and we have three challenging friendly games, which I believe are good preparation for us,” says Da Cruz, on the club media, reflecting on Chiefs’ first few days in Spain.
Da Cruz, who is returning to Chiefs after a brief stint as Nasreddine Nabi’s assistant coach before his abrupt departure, further disclosed his goals for the upcoming season, promising fans that the team will do everything in their power to bring silverware back to Naturena.
“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,” the coach added.
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