Kaizer Chiefs have officially appointed Fernando Da Cruz as the club’s new head coach ahead of the 2026/27 season, bringing an end to weeks of speculation over who would lead the first team.
Amakhosi announced that the French-born tactician has signed a two-year contract with a one-year option, with his appointment taking effect from 1 July 2026.
KAIZER CHIEFS STATEMENT ON FERNANDO DA CRUZ APPOINTMENT
The confirmation follows the expiry of the contracts of co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, who took charge after Nasreddine Nabi’s departure and guided the club to a .
“Kaizer Chiefs are pleased to announce the appointment of Fernando da Cruz as Head Coach. He has signed a two-year contract with a one-year option, effective 1 July 2026,” the club said.
“Born in France, Da Cruz comes highly qualified with a UEFA Pro Licence, the highest coaching certification in football.
“He worked briefly with Chiefs during pre-season two years ago before joining the Moroccan Football Federation, where he served as Technical Director until the end of June. He will officially take charge of Amakhosi at the beginning of July,” the note added.
WHO IS FERNANDO DA CRUZ?
Da Cruz has built a reputation for his tactical organisation, detailed preparation and preference for structured, possession-based football.
Before moving into coaching, he captained the French national futsal team and later began working in scouting and youth development at LOSC Lille. His career has since included coaching and technical roles in France and Belgium, including a spell in interim charge of Royal Excel Mouscron.
One of the highlights of his coaching journey came in Morocco, where he led AS FAR Rabat to the 2022/23 Botola Pro title after initially serving as the club’s academy technical director. He later remained within the club’s technical structure, working closely with Nasreddine Nabi.
With experience spanning Europe and Africa, Da Cruz arrives at Kaizer Chiefs with a strong background in player development, recruitment and elite football management.
The challenge now will be to build on last season’s progress and guide Amakhosi back into contention for major honours.
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