Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siphesihle Ndlovu has made a passionate plea to the club’s highly demanding fan base, urging them to remain patient as the Soweto giants lay the foundations for what he promises will be “something special” under a new regime.
Amakhosi are currently in Spain for their pre-season tour, intensifying preparations for the highly anticipated 2026/27 campaign.
The Glamour Boys enter the upcoming season determined to compete for major trophies. Despite failing to secure a trophy in the previous campaign, there were undeniable signs of a turnaround.
Chiefs secured a third-place finish in the Betway Premiership, finishing just behind champions Orlando Pirates and runners-up Mamelodi Sundowns. This podium finish marked a significant leap forward for the club, representing their best league finish in two seasons after previously languishing in the bottom half of the table.
This resurgence was achieved under the guidance of co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze, who took the reins on an interim basis following the departure of head coach Nasreddine Nabi. Both Kaze and Ben Youssef, who originally arrived at Naturena in July 2024 as assistants to the Tunisian mentor, have since parted ways with the club.
A NEW PHILOSOPHY UNDER FERNANDO DA CRUZ AT KAIZER CHIEFS
With the interim duo departed, Kaizer Chiefs have handed the steering wheel to French tactician Fernando Da Cruz.
As expectations skyrocket and fans demand immediate trophy success, Ndlovu has called for calm, reminding the Amakhosi faithful that adapting to a new tactical blueprint takes time.
Speaking on the squad’s mindset and the expectations of the new season, the former Orlando Pirates midfield anchor urged supporters to look at the bigger picture.
“I think commitment and continuing where we left off last season are important. Obviously, we have a new coach and new players, but we are really committing to making sure that we are fine-tuning the philosophy,” Ndlovu told the club media.
“I would like for our fans to be patient and trust the process because I think, with the coach’s philosophy, we are building something special.”
THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE: FERNANDO DA CRUZ COMES BACK TO STEER AMAKHOSI’S NEW ERA
While Ndlovu remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the coach’s blueprint, there is no denying that Da Cruz is a master of tactical organisation.
Deeply influenced by his time working under the legendary Marcelo Bielsa at Lille, Da Cruz’s philosophy demands strict discipline, intense counter-pressing, and defensive stability—typically deployed in a rigid 4-2-3-1 anchored by a protective double pivot.
It is this elite tactical pedigree that guided AS FAR Rabat to the 2022/23 Botola Pro title and later earned him the nod as Morocco’s technical director. This meticulous approach made him the perfect foil for Nasreddine Nabi, whom he supported across 31 matches in Rabat. When Nabi took the Chiefs job, his first priority was begging Da Cruz to join him at Naturena to lay the club’s tactical foundation.
Although a late offer from the Moroccan Federation put their partnership on hold and sent Da Cruz north, Nabi still succeeded in ending Chiefs’ painful ten-year trophy dry spell.
Following Nabi’s departure, the puzzle has come full circle. Da Cruz has returned to Naturena, finally taking the reins as the head coach of the Glamour Boys.
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