Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz has spoken out on his strikers’ ongoing battle to hit double figures, addressing the club’s frontline concerns ahead of the new campaign.
Since Samir Nurkovic scored 14 goals in 31 games across all competitions during the 2019/20 season, Amakhosi forwards have been struggling to reach double figures. However, Flavio da Silva became the first player after Nurkovic to reach the 10-goal mark in one season when he struck 10 goals in 31 outings last term.
But for a team that will be bidding for the Betway Premiership title and CAF Confederation Cup in the upcoming season, more is expected from the Soweto giants’ attacking players. This comes as Etiosa Ighodaro often battles with injuries, while Chiefs are now thin upfront following the departure of Glody Lilepo.
Wingers including Ashley du Preez, Wandile Duba, Asanele Velebayi and Pule Mmodi, as well as attacking midfielders Mfundo Vilakazi and Mduduzi Shabalala, have been struggling to be prolific.
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By his own admission, Da Cruz has stated that Chiefs need to reinforce their strikeforce, which is an area of concern for him. The Chiefs coach responded when asked by FARPost if his arrival would see a shift in Amakhosi attackers reaching double figures.
“We always want to improve the level of our team. In the previous seasons the team defended very well but the difference between Kaizer Chiefs and the two other teams [Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns] at the top of the league is that their number of goals was a little bit high,” Da Cruz answered FARPost on the sidelines of the 2026/27 Betway Premiership season launch, held at The Venue at Houghton Hotel in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
“So we want to improve, and the work is also on all the other departments and not just our strikers, our wingers. We want to send this message that it’s a collective offensive animation, which is most important for us.”
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The Frenchman now leads a team under pressure to win the Betway Premiership title for the first time since 2015. Orlando Pirates’ league triumph after a 14-year drought and Mamelodi Sundowns’ CAF Champions League success might leave Chiefs feeling the heat of lifting silverware in the upcoming season.
That might require a strong attitude in Da Silva’s squad, which he said they have.
“At the moment, the feeling is very good, I’m happy with our pre-season. We played tough games during our camp in Spain,” added the Amakhosi coach. “We also played a tough game in the Toyota Cup. I’m very happy about the mindset of our squad.
“Everything is good, but the season will be very tough and long. We will see what will happen.”
The highly anticipated 2026/27 Betway Premiership season kicks off today [Saturday, August 1] as all teams begin the marathon for South African football’s ultimate prize.
Chiefs face a tricky opener against top-flight debutants Kruger United, with action set to start at 20:00 at Mbombela Stadium
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