Can Chiefs stun Pirates and keep Da Cruz cruising?

Even by FNB Stadium standards, it was a small crowd that greeted Kaizer Chiefs for their Carling Black Label Knockout last 16 clash with TS Galaxy on Tuesday evening.

Chiefs fans saving money?

Maybe fans were saving their money for Saturday’s Soweto derby, when the stadium will be packed to capacity for their Betway Premiership showdown with Orlando Pirates.

And maybe they were fed up with watching their side, whose poor run of form had seen them eliminated on Friday from the Caf Confederation Cup.

Crowds at the Calabash can be deceptive, with the sheer size of the stadium playing a trick of the mind on how many people are there.

Tuesday was not such an occasion, however, summed by the ease with which one breezed into the precinct 30 minutes before kick off.

In a goalless first half against the Rockets, the Chiefs fans that were there seemed restless, doing the well-worn substitution hand signal.

But by the end, they were singing Wandile Duba’s name, the 22-year-old’s hat-trick propelling Chiefs into the quarterfinals.

With the derby coming up, it cannot be overstated how much Chiefs needed this victory. Pirates are flying, and have to be heavy favourites to win on Saturday. So Chiefs players need every drop of confidence possible in their bloodstream.

So too does their head coach Fernando Da Cruz. Da Cruz looked like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders after Tuesday night’s victory.

Three consecutive draws followed by the embarrassment of elimination from the Confederation Cup had put the Frenchman under serious pressure.

Seize the moment

Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jnr came out with a public statement of support for Da Cruz a day after the CAF exit. But the fact he needed to do this tells you a lot about public sentiment.

Chiefs fans are growing increasingly frustrated at their side’s inability to keep pace with Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. Da Cruz has earned a stay of (metaphorical) fan execution with the Galaxy win.

But the real way to win Amakhosi supporters over will be with a Soweto derby victory over Pirates. Chiefs must seize the moment.