Chiefs secured a 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United on Wednesday, with Da Cruz making several changes to his line-up after the team played three matches in just six days.

Rather than allowing the heavy schedule to affect his players, the French coach was encouraged by the mentality they showed to secure another important result.

“I’m very happy with the group’s win because we had to switch players because we played three games in six days,” Da Cruz said after the game through his translator.

The victory also highlighted the importance of having a squad capable of adapting to different circumstances, with Da Cruz continuing to assess his players while building his preferred style of football.

The coach admitted Chiefs are still some distance away from consistently producing the type of football he wants, given that he has only worked with the group for around a month and a half.

However, he believes results remain essential during that development process because victories help create confidence and momentum.

“The idea is to produce the game. We’ve been working together for a month and a half now,” he explained.

“Compared to other teams that have been playing together for several years, we’re a long way behind. But that’s what we’re working on.”

Chiefs were particularly improved after half-time against Babina Noko, when Da Cruz instructed his players to attack spaces more aggressively.

The coach felt his team had been too cautious in the opening period but saw greater attacking intent after the break.

“In the second half, I asked them to play a little more forward because we had space,” he said.

For Da Cruz, the immediate priority is to keep collecting points while gradually developing the identity he wants Chiefs to have especially after the club got knocked out of the MTN8 by Golden Arrows last weekend.

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