Kaizer Chiefs kicked off life under new coach Fernando Da Cruz on a positive note as they claimed an emphatic 3-1 victory over Betway Premiership rookies Kruger United at a packed Mbombela Stadium on Saturday night.
A second-half brace by substitute Wandile Duba and an early goal by Flavio Silva ensured Amakhosi travelled back to Johannesburg with maximum points and also secured the top spot on the league’s log table.
United went into the break with so much hope after Khethukuthula Ndlovu scored a beautiful goal to equalise at the stroke of half-time.
Despite the scare, the night ended with big celebrations for coach Da Cruz and his newly assembled technical team.
The Frenchman took over the hot seat, replacing co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, who guided Amakhosi to the third-place finish in the league.
The new coach didn’t change the Glamour Boys’ lineup, but he showed trust in young players Mfundo Vilakazi and Luke Baartman, who didn’t get to start a lot of matches under previous coaches.
They were both instrumental in Amakhosi’s success on the night, with Baartman being named the Man of the Match while Vilakazi set up Silva for the opening goal.
Chiefs played with an impressive pace when going upfront and used their opportunities in front of goals.
TimesLIVE
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