Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz believes experience and consistency remain the biggest differences between his side and Orlando Pirates, admitting the Amakhosi are still some way off reaching the level of their Soweto rivals.
Chiefs suffered their first defeat in the league under Da Cruz with a 2-1 setback against Pirates in the Soweto Derby this weekend that has now placed them 12 points behind league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns and 11 behind second placed Buccaneers who have a game in hand.
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And Da Cruz acknowledged that while his side showed encouraging signs during the encounter, their inability to maintain the required standards over the course of a match highlighted the work still needed.
“The difference between Pirates and us, they have more experienced players and they have more consistency because of that,” he said.
“Our young players need to develop this consistency game by game. It takes time, it’s a process we need to take step by step and for the moment we’re not there. We will work hard to reach this step.”
While he was pleased with aspects of Chiefs’ performance, particularly their first-half display, he stressed that playing well in spells is not enough at the highest level.
“We must use this type of game to grow up. The players must reach the next steps, but the players must understand we played well, we did good things, but it’s not enough. We must reach the next steps now,” he added.
The Frenchman also cautioned against expecting an immediate transformation, explaining that experience cannot simply be acquired overnight but comes through consistent training, exposure to different competitions and learning from difficult matches.
“We must continue to work but it takes time, it takes time – it’s not overnight these things can be fixed. We cannot get experience from one day to the next day. It’s training, many games and we must continue to learn, with competitions of different levels,” he added.
“I want to say, we have a lack of experience, but I am very proud of my players. When you analyse the first half, it was a masterclass against this team. In this game, I’m proud of my players – against this team we could control the game and the ball.”
Chiefs now turn their attention to Siwelele this Friday as they host them at FNB Stadium for the quarter-finals of the Carling Knockout Cup.