Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has offered an honest evaluation of new signing Langelihle Phili following the attacker’s second-half debut in Amakhosi’s 1-0 defeat to Golden Arrows in the MTN8 quarter-finals.
The Glamour Boys suffered an early exit from the top-eight competition after a surprising defeat to Abafana Bes’thende at FNB Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Arrows struck the decisive blow in the second half when Khulekani Shezi found the net in the 53rd minute to seal a narrow victory for the KwaZulu-Natal side.
Chiefs started the encounter brightly, creating several promising scoring opportunities. However, lingering inefficiencies in the final third left them unable to capitalise on their early dominance. As Amakhosi squandered their chances, Arrows grew in confidence and eventually capitalised on their momentum to pull off a major upset.
In a desperate bid to salvage their first trophy target of the 2026/27 season, Da Cruz introduced Phili off the bench in the second half. Despite a lively performance, the 21-year-old—who signed for Chiefs just days earlier from Stellenbosch FC—was unable to inspire a comeback to secure a semi-final spot in Amakhosi’s MTN8 return after a two-season absence.
‘HE’S NOT AT 100% YET’- FERNANDO DA CRUZ
Speaking to the media after the Golden defeat, Da Cruz acknowledged Phili’s potential while noting that the young forward still requires conditioning to reach full match fitness.
“I’m happy with Phili’s performance, but for him, he is not at 100% ready at the moment,” Da Cruz said. “We are taking things step by step and need to be careful.”
The French tactician also provided an update on Faiz Abrahams, another recent arrival from Stellenbosch FC, explaining why the versatile attacker was omitted from the matchday squad. The young attacker joined Amakhosi on a season-long loan deal from Stellies, with the Soweto giants holding an option to buy at the end of the campaign.
“For Faiz, he didn’t have a pre-season, and we are making a plan to prepare him step by step. So we need to be patient,” Fernando Da Cruz added.
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