Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has revealed that forward Wandile Duba was substituted during Sunday’s 2-1 Carling Knockout quarter-final victory over Siwelele FC after complaining of cramps.
The Soweto giants edged their visitors from Bloemfontein at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium to reach the Carling Knockout semi-finals. They will now face Mamelodi Sundowns away in the last four of this competition.
After missing out on the MTN8 and CAF Confederation Cup this season, Chiefs are under pressure to pacify their fans by clinching the Carling Knockout. They last won it in 2010.
But standing in their way are wounded Sundowns, who are feeling the pinch of losing the CAF Super Cup to USM Alger on Sunday. The Super Cup defeat came two weeks after elimination from the CAF Champions League, leaving the Brazilians a side desperate to make up for the continental setbacks.
WHY WANDILE DUBA ASKED DA CRUZ TO TAKE HIM OFF AGAINST SIWELELE
After scoring from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime to level matters for Chiefs after Siwelele’s lead, Duba later signalled to Da Cruz that he wanted to be substituted. He was taken off after 75 minutes to make way for Flavio da Silva, who assisted Asanele Velebayi to score Amakhosi’s winning goal with six minutes to go.
“He started having some cramps, so we needed a fresh player in our front line. We needed to manage him,” Da Cruz said on SuperSport TV after the Siwelele match.
“He had played the last three games almost totally. So we need to manage our squad.”
FERNANDO DA CRUZ ON VELABAYI’S WORK ETHIC
Velebayi’s winner was the winger’s first goal for Chiefs since he arrived from Cape Town Spurs early last season. The 23-year-old has been struggling for game time this season, making six appearances across all competitions, including just one start.
Sunday’s deciding goal might serve as a serious statement to Da Cruz to give him more minutes, and the Frenchman was happy with his wideman.
“I’m very happy for Velebayi because he works a lot in training. He didn’t get a lot of minutes lately. But the most important thing is when he comes in to support the team, and today [Sunday] he offered us qualification,” Da Cruz stated.
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