"we lost in the penalty shootout. But on the field, we won" Da Cruz explains the reason for his defeat against Red Arrows

The Amakhosi coach has a particular point of view.

Africa Today at 11:40

Add Foot Africa on Google

"we lost in the penalty shootout. But on the field, we won" Da Cruz explains the reason for his defeat against Red Arrows

pic | CAF online

Fernando Da Cruz, the head coach of Kaizer Chiefs, stood firmly behind his players after the Soweto giants crashed out of the CAF Confederation Cup at the hands of Zambia's Red Arrows FC on Friday night. The elimination unfolded at Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium, where Amakhosi bowed out in the second preliminary round, losing 3-2 on penalties.

Having trailed 1-0 from the first leg played the previous weekend, the home side fought their way back to level the tie 1-1 on aggregate. Bradley Cross struck the decisive goal in the 66th minute, earning a 1-0 win on the night, wiping out the deficit and sending the contest to a shootout. From the spot, however, the Glamour Boys lost their composure, and a spot in the group stages slipped away.

read more: Kaizer Chiefs exit CAF Confederation Cup after penalty shootout defeat

Fernando da Cruz has a different opinion

Even in defeat, Da Cruz took pride in what his team produced, highlighting the injury crisis within his squad and the chances squandered during normal time. Addressing the media after the final whistle, he said: "We won the game; however, we lost in the penalty shootout. But on the field, we won the game." He continued: “When you saw our team today, there were five injured players, and the performance of the team was very positive.”

The coach also rued his side's failure to kill the game off, insisting the tie should have been decided long before the drama of penalties. "It's very disappointing to lose the game in penalty shootouts because we had a lot of chances to score during the 90 minutes. Normally, we would have finished this game 3-0 or 4-0," he added.

Rather than point fingers at his players, Da Cruz chose to commend their spirit. "I cannot say anything to the players because they showed a lot of character, personality, and intensity. So, while it's very disappointing, I cannot criticise them."

With their continental adventure over, Kaizer Chiefs will now redirect their attention to domestic affairs as they look to regroup and move forward.

This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create review content, see our Editorial Policy .