Former Kaizer Chiefs captain Neil Tovey has called for patience with Amakhosi coach Fernando da Cruz as the Soweto giants chase Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates in the Betway Premiership title race.
Bidding for a first league title since 2015, Chiefs have placed themselves in a tricky position after seven games into the league campaign. Currently in fourth spot, Chiefs trail log leaders Sundowns by seven points, although the Brazilians have played a game more.
Defending champions Pirates are second on the standings with six points better than Amakhosi, while AmaZulu FC sit third with three points more. Judging from recent past seasons, Sundowns are difficult to catch once they open a gap.
However, Chiefs could draw inspiration from the fact that they have 23 more games to recover and catch up with the pacesetters. But the ever-demanding Chiefs fans might be starting to pile pressure on Da Cruz, having also missed out on the MTN8 this season after being eliminated by Golden Arrows FC in the quarter-finals.
NEIL TOVEY EASES PRESSURE ON FERNANDO DA CRUZ
Interestingly, Chiefs are still unbeaten in the Betway Premiership this season, with three wins and four draws. But Tovey points to their share of the spoils as their undoing this campaign so far and believes Da Cruz should be given a chance.
“I think they need to start being consistent when it comes to the league. You have got to put some league form together. The league form hasn’t been that bad; it’s just those four draws,” Tovey told FARPost.
“Out of four draws, you convert two of them into wins, and you already have another four points. So, you have to convert those draws into wins, and that’s really important.
“But they have had a stable start. I won’t say it’s bad. They just have to consolidate [unbeaten run] after this international break because it’s always important how your players come back.
“It’s important after this break how they start the league program again. It’s important that they start well because the break is longer.
“Pirates and Sundowns are concentrating on the [Nedbank] Cup final, so they [Chiefs] need to pick up their form now so that they can get their league results together and start playing a bit of catch-up.
“You haven’t lost a game, but I’d rather have one loss and three wins than four draws,” added Tovey.
“Give him [Da Cruz] a little bit more time. It’s only the start of the season, so a little bit of patience and let them see the next couple of games. Give him a little bit of time; it’s only seven games into the season. So give him a chance.”
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