“He Offered Us Qualification” Da Cruz Makes Special Admission About Chiefs Match-Winner

Da Cruz Sends Strong Message As Velebayi Rescues Chiefs And Books Carling Knockout Semi-Final Place

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has praised Asanele Velebayi after the young attacker delivered a match-winning performance in the club’s 2-1 victory over Siwelele FC in the Carling Knockout quarter-finals on Sunday evening.

Velebayi came off the bench to score the decisive goal in the 84th minute, helping Amakhosi secure their place in the semi-finals after a challenging encounter at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

The 23-year-old’s contribution was particularly significant because he has not enjoyed many minutes on the pitch this season. However, when the opportunity arrived, he demonstrated his quality and made an immediate impact.

Speaking after the match, Da Cruz expressed his happiness with the player’s performance, pointing out that his commitment during training had finally been rewarded.

“I’m very happy for Velebayi, because he works a lot at training,” the French coach told SuperSport TV.

“He didn’t get a lot of minutes for the moment but most important is when you come in to help the team and today he offered us the qualification.”

The comments underline the importance Da Cruz places on squad depth and having players who can influence matches even when they are not regular starters.

Chiefs did not have everything their own way against Siwelele. The visitors started brightly and took the lead in the 11th minute through Siyabonga Ndebele, who rose above the Amakhosi defence to score from a corner.

The Soweto giants struggled to convert their possession into clear opportunities during the opening stages. Mduduzi Shabalala also missed a penalty after Mfundo Vilakazi was fouled inside the box.

However, Chiefs received another opportunity before the interval when Shabalala was brought down in the penalty area. This time, Wandile Duba stepped forward and converted from the spot in first-half stoppage time to make it 1-1.

The second half became a battle of patience, with both teams searching for the goal that would take them closer to the last four.

Da Cruz introduced Velebayi and Flavio Da Silva in the 75th minute, and the changes eventually proved decisive. Da Silva played an important role in the build-up before Velebayi calmly finished to give Chiefs a 2-1 advantage.

Da Cruz also explained that Duba’s substitution was necessary because the striker had begun experiencing cramps after playing almost the entirety of the previous two matches.

The victory keeps Chiefs’ hopes of lifting the Carling Knockout trophy alive. They now join Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates in the semi-finals.

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