Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has expressed his disappointment following his team's 2-1 defeat to Orlando Pirates in Saturday's Soweto Derby, insisting that his players had enough opportunities to secure victory during the first half.

The highly anticipated encounter took place at a sold-out FNB Stadium, where both Soweto giants were determined to claim bragging rights and strengthen their positions in the Betway Premiership. Despite Chiefs showing promising attacking intent, they were unable to capitalise on their opportunities, allowing Pirates to secure an important victory.

Orlando Pirates opened the scoring in the 23rd minute through Yanela Mbuthuma, but Kaizer Chiefs responded six minutes later when Pule Mmodi found the back of the net to restore parity.

Speaking during an interview with SuperSport TV after the match, Da Cruz suggested that Chiefs should have established a comfortable lead before the interval, given the opportunities they created.

"In the first half, we must kill this game," the French coach said.

He further argued that his team should have been leading by two or three goals at half-time, while also questioning the circumstances surrounding Pirates' opening goal and suggesting that a possible red-card decision had gone against his side.

"Normally, 2 or 3-0 because the goal of Pirates, we've seen it's offside and maybe there is a red card as well," he added.

"If we score two or three goals, we're gonna kill this game."

However, Chiefs failed to maintain their advantage in the second half. Tshepang Moremi scored in the 55th minute to restore Pirates' lead, and the Buccaneers successfully protected their advantage until the final whistle.

The defeat will be frustrating for Da Cruz, particularly because he believes his players performed well enough to win. Chiefs must now address their finishing problems and turn promising performances into positive results as the league campaign continues.

Meanwhile, Pirates celebrated a significant derby victory that also propelled them to the top of the Betway Premiership standings.

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