Two players – two hurdles – Da Cruz breaks down Mayo’s fitness gap and Ighodaro’s learning curve

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has offered a frank update on two key members of his squad, revealing that while both possess genuine quality, each faces distinct hurdles before they can feature prominently for the Glamour Boys.

First, there is the return of Mayo, sidelined by injury since the start of the season. The coach confirmed the attacker is nearing full fitness, but stressed he was not ready for the ferocity of the Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates — a contest his side lost 2–1 on Saturday. “Mayo is not far, he’s a quality player,” Da Cruz explained. “But for this game he was not physically ready to play this type of game.”

Then there is Nigerian striker Ighodaro, who is still finding his feet tactically at Naturena. “He needs to understand the game model, so we’ll work with him,” Da Cruz said. “He can be another solution, but when we play teams like Pirates, we need to be physically ready — you saw how intense the last 20 minutes were.”

Attention now turns to cup football. Chiefs host Siwelele FC in the Carling Knockout quarter-final on Friday 6 November, with venue and kick-off time still to be confirmed. The last meeting between the sides in September ended in a thrilling 3–2 victory for Amakhosi, with Wandile Duba among the goals. Da Cruz will hope both Mayo and Ighodaro can take important steps forward in that fixture.

Da Cruz opens up on two Kaizer Chiefs players

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