Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz has expressed his disappointment after his team were eliminated from the CAF Confederation Cup by Red Arrows, insisting that the result should have been decided before the penalty shootout.

The Soweto giants exited the competition on Friday night after failing to turn their dominance in the second leg into enough goals to secure qualification. Chiefs entered the match needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg and managed to level the tie through Bradley Cross in the second half.

Despite creating several scoring opportunities, Amakhosi were unable to find the additional goal needed to avoid a penalty shootout. Red Arrows eventually prevailed from the spot, ending Chiefs’ hopes of progressing further in the continental competition.

Speaking after the match, Da Cruz pointed to his players’ inability to convert their chances as the main reason for the disappointing outcome. The coach believed his side had done enough in open play to win comfortably but failed to make its attacking superiority count.

“We dominated all the game, we created a lot of chances, we lose this game in the penalties, but I think we lost the game before because we missed too much chances, we only scored one goal. Normally, we must win this game three- four zero,” Da Cruz said, as reported by SABC Sport.

The French coach also rejected suggestions that a lack of confidence had contributed to the elimination. Instead, he defended his players’ attitude and performance, arguing that the team demonstrated confidence and personality throughout the contest.

“No, the team played with confidence, played with a lot of personality, with the ball, without the ball so with what we showed today it’s not an issue of confidence,” he added.

Chiefs must now quickly redirect their attention to domestic competition, with a Carling Knockout fixture against TS Galaxy scheduled for Tuesday. Da Cruz confirmed that preparations for the match were already underway as the team looks to recover from its continental disappointment.

The defeat represents a setback for Amakhosi, who will need to improve their finishing if they are to make the most of their opportunities in upcoming matches.

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