Fernando Da Cruz Faces Criticism at Kaizer Chiefs

Fernando Da Cruz has barely learned the route from the tunnel to the dugout at Kaizer Chiefs, and already the knives are out.

The Frenchman’s cautious tone about the season ahead has landed badly with some of the club’s old guard, who hear not realism, but resignation.

“Already making excuses”

Fees Moloi, a former Chiefs forward who understands the weight of the badge, has gone straight for the jugular after Da Cruz suggested his squad lacks the tactical variety and depth to chase the league title while juggling CAF Confederation Cup duties and a sluggish transfer window.

To Moloi, those comments sound uncomfortably familiar.

"Da Cruz is already making excuses so that if he fails to improve the team, he would be able to say 'I told you so'," he told KickOff, drawing a sharp line between the new man and his predecessor, Nasreddine Nabi. "Da Cruz is the same as Nabi. His statement reminds me of the Tunisian coach."

For Moloi, the issue is not just what Da Cruz said, but what it reveals. At a club built on the expectation of chasing every trophy, talk of limitations before a ball is kicked feels like a breach of the unwritten code.

"It is his job to get the team ready. It seems he took the job blindly," Moloi added, questioning how a coach can walk into Naturena and immediately lower the bar.

A job for believers only

At Kaizer Chiefs, transition is a reality, not an excuse. Coaches come in knowing the squad may be imperfect, the rebuild ongoing, the pressure unrelenting. The deal is simple: you accept the job, you accept the demand to compete from the first whistle.

Moloi cannot reconcile that with Da Cruz’s early messaging.

"If Kaizer Chiefs are not ready to compete, then what is he doing here? He was brought in to prepare the team and make it competitive. This coach does not seem confident in himself."

That word – confidence – cuts to the heart of the debate. Supporters may tolerate a rebuild. They do not tolerate doubt. Especially not from the man tasked with restoring pride after years of frustration.

Board, coach and a blurred brief

Moloi’s criticism doesn’t stop with the touchline. His comments also shine a light on the boardroom and how the appointment was handled.

The former striker questions the professionalism and clarity around Da Cruz’s arrival. If the coach believed the squad needed significant reinforcement to compete, Moloi argues, those conditions should have been hammered out before the ink dried on his contract.

"Why did he accept the job at a team that is not ready?" he asked. "He should have told management from the beginning that 'For me to be able to make the team compete, you will have to strengthen here and there'. "

That line speaks to a deeper concern: has Da Cruz fully understood the scale of the task, or has he walked into a storm without a proper map?

Early fault lines at Naturena

The tension is clear. On one side, a coach hinting at structural limitations and a lack of depth. On the other, a club legend demanding unshakeable belief and immediate competitiveness, regardless of the transfer market’s pace.

Now the spotlight swings onto Chiefs’ hierarchy.

Do they back Da Cruz with the reinforcements he clearly feels are necessary, reshaping the squad to match his concerns? Or do they hold the line and expect him to extract more from what he already has, insisting that the badge itself should lift standards?

For a club desperate to step out of its recent shadow, the answer to that question may define not just Da Cruz’s tenure, but the direction of the entire season.